What is a Concerned Citizen to do?

 So, I made a mistake this morning. Friday is the day where I open the Cafe at Hope, so I’m up a lot earlier than normal. After doing my morning chores I usually use the sunrise hour to check out the box scores, say a few prayers and drink the day’s first cup of coffee. Sometimes I take this time to write this blog. But this morning at 5:30 am I made the mistake of pulling up the famous news aggregator—The Drudge Report. For much of the last two months I have been distracted from the news by Maine and a new grandson. These happy distractions have done wonders for my attitude. But there is nothing that will destroy your happiness more than reading the news, even just a headline summary thereof. So, I have nobody to blame but myself.

Of the 50 or so headlines I read I’m thinking that somewhere between 15-20 are completely misleading, another 15-20 are flat out lies and the rest might actually be true, so maybe I have no reason to be concerned. But here’s my problem…

I have no confidence in the fidelity of the news media in this country to tell me the truth. Fox and others on the right are so in love with Trump that they are nothing more than mouthpieces for his administration. The rest of the legacy media are so far in the bag in their hatred of the man, they can’t be trusted to be fair. On top of that, Donald Trump can’t be depended on to tell the truth about—anything. So, what is a semi-concerned citizen to do?

All of my choices are flawed but they are: 1. Stop reading the news. 2. Read the news every day until my social media algorithm figures out my politics and starts feeding me stories that match my current beliefs. 3. Read the news every day and become convinced in the complete virtue of “my side” to the point where I start arguments with everyone online who disagrees with me. 4. Once a week or so skim through the news from a variety of sources and try to figure out what’s true and what isn’t, then go about living my life.

Number 1 is the easiest and most beneficial to my mental and physical health. Number 4 is where I land most of the time.

So, I’ll alternate between numbers 1 and 4. But not until the election is over with. Number 1 is the only choice when their’s an election afoot.