Letter to the editor: 'We can't handle the truth'

“La La Land” was once a reference to Los Angeles and Hollywood because of the frivolous lifestyle and attitudes of those living there.

A case can be made that the La La Land mentality has spread across the entirety of America. It’s much easier to keep your head in the clouds than to peek down and get a dose of reality. Jack Nicholson’s famous line from “A Few Good Men” rings true here.

It’s hard to pretend things in this country are not a total mess. Watching the news, it’s the Wild West on a daily basis. Shootings and violence are commonplace, and it’s a surprise if an evening goes by without one or more.

It’s worse if you pay close attention. The more you are aware of, the worse you realize it is. Yeah, the shootings are bad, as is the rest of the crime a casual observer notices. It’s worse if you pull back the curtain and look deeper into things under the surface.

The amount of corruption at all levels of government and society is astounding. A dysfunctional Congress, an incompetent executive branch, a politicized judiciary and an uninformed, distracted and polarized electorate.

The depth of this will never be covered by the “feel good” media. They have an agenda and an audience they play to. Why go in depth or present facts when advertiser dollars pour in regardless? It’s entertainment over information. Facts are manipulated to play to a specific demographic. Distortion, omission and besides, they know, “you can’t handle the truth.”

Tim Kaczmarek

Natrona Heights