I Heard The News Today, Oh Boy

America is certainly an entertaining and diverse place to live and learn. I was listening to the news on the radio, and heard a news report that began with a description of the calm that had finally begun to take hold in Ferguson, Missouri. This came as Governor Jay Nixon ordered the National Guard out of the little town that was once just a corner of the greater St. Louis metropolitan area. Now it is part of the continuing and troubled history of civil rights in the United States. Having experienced some of the same upheaval in my own town over the past few years, it was easy enough for me to connect with the tensions and fears that played out over the weeks after the shooting of Michael Brown. Rioting, arrests, looting, curfews, more rioting, and still no understanding of exactly what happened. So pervasive was this connection that Oakland was one of the many cities that staged protests in sympathy with their comrades halfway across the country. For many, these are dangerous times.
What was the second story? California's governor, Jerry Brown was signing a bill that would allow dogs at restaurants. With one swift stroke of a pen, Governor Brown made it possible for your favorite Poodle or Pomeranian to sit down next to you as you enjoy the sidewalk cafe of your choice. All of a sudden, the difference between California and the rest of the planet was drawn in stark relief. Missouri's governor was telling the armed force that had all but occupied one of his state's cities to stand down, while out in Sacramento, Governor Moonbeam was protecting the civil rights of man's best friend.
Okay, so maybe it's not that simple. It is a certainty that Governor Brown has had to deal with his share of civil unrest, and some news editor will probably feel a little sheepish when the story selection for the day gets played back in real time. "Did we really just air those two stories back to back?"
Of course we did. That's what makes America so darn amusing. There's always room for the lighter side. We demand it. Don't bring us down with all that beheading nonsense. Tell us about the Kardashians one more time so we don't have to go to sleep at night with the notion that a great chunk of the world's population would say the infidels of the USA deserve everything that comes their way. Even sloppy news editors.