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I try to listen to those representing the right, and of course those pushing the agenda of the left.
I have to confess it is extremely difficult to keep my dial tuned to any one of these guys and gals for very long.
To be honest, I do listen to Randi Rhodes from time to time, because she sources her stuff a lot.
But even then, its hard for me to tolerate the extreme partisanship that goes on.
No one is wrong all the time.
And no one is right all the time.
Listening to these people you would think that George Bush and Barack Obama are the worst and best thing to happen to the US, depending on whose point of view you are hearing of course.
We know this is crazy, yet millions cheer these people on.
It seems to me that too many people are afflicted by something or the other and the best way to find a cure is to turn to talk radio.
We are living in times that seem a bit more uncertain than before.
Changes are taking place in this country that it is hard for some people to tolerate.
I understand.
It is only human.
The demographics are changing rapidly.
People are seeing people who look nothing like them and sporting culture that they are unfamiliar with.
The economy is on the weaker side, people are hurting and it seems like there is nothing we can do about it.
So there is a lot to be concerned about.
But what I hear coming over the air waves have little or nothing to do with finding a solution to these issues.
Hosts have a political agenda, underpinned by their own political philosophy and so what matters most to them is to see this agenda being addressed.
And their wrath and the wrath of their listeners will be poured out on the unfortunate person who just happens to be president at the time.
We saw it during the Clinton years, we saw it during George Bush's two terms, and we are seeing it in spades here with the current president.
Of course this may come across as a desire to see everyone just join hands and sing cumbaya.
Well far from that, we need rigorous debates and most of all solutions.
What we are getting from talk radio is nothing more than a stoking of that which is ailing people, that which has people very concerned justifiably or not.
We certainly are not getting solutions or even debate.
What really bothers me about all of this is this driving need to reduce every valid issue to a quarrel with someone, particularly those who you have conditioned yourself to never agree with.
All this does is create noise.
And seriously, no matter where you stand politically, do you really honestly believe that this type of attitude advance the ball any? They really do believe that in a country of over 300 million, a democracy, a free society, their ideas and their ideas only are the ones that will move this country forward.
History reflects otherwise.
Ideas from the left, ideas from the right, actions from the left and actions from the right have done their part to both move this country forward and at times set it back.
And that is how it will be in a democracy.
Constantly ginning up a quarrel with those who don't share your political philosophy is self-serving.
Maybe that is a valid prescription for higher ratings.
But it is no prescription for what ails this country.
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