("Quid coniuratio est?")
I received the following, courtesy of the AEN news service. I contacted the original author, who kindly granted me permission to distribute it.
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
AEN News
Wed, 04 Oct 1995 16:26:38 -0500 (EST)
From: Patricia Neill <pnpj@db1.cc.rochester.edu>
Subject: The OJ Simpson Trial Show
The OJ Simpson Trial Show: The Biggest Show on Earth
I'm amazed. God and Congress must have passed some law when I wasn't looking that said that every dimwitted yokel in America has to have an opinion (and an irrational, emotional opinion at that) on whether OJ did or didn't do it. Personally I think every fool involved in that trial, the prosecutors, the defense, the witnesses for either side, the cops, the jury, the judge, the spectators, and the media (especially the media), and all the idiots who gave their opinions on the news last night should be arrested on charges of public stupidity and disturbing the peace and tossed in the hoosegow for life. No trial. I'm sick of trials.
What a spectacle! Out of this very ordinary crime that happens every day in some burg or another (some guy is charged with killing his wife yawn--ok ok, so it is a heinous crime) the mass media created The Biggest Show On Earth. It played to millions of "intelligent" Americans for over a year. (Who was it who said "You can never go broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public"?) This bit of non-news and nobody's business became BIG NEWS and EVERYBODY'S BUSINESS with the usual media magic of endless, constant repetition, gaudy, sensationalist bilge about sex and blood and money and murder (and now gloves), and the entire interminable show was put on television, the nation's most powerful addicting substance. Yep. Keep em' all agog, keep 'em dumb and stoopid, give 'em bread and circuses, and they'll keep quiet and happy. In fact, the Roman emperors would have been proud--all they had were gladiators and a few mangy lions that ate a few even mangier Christians. Our emperors had OJ Simpson! A dead beaten-up but beautiful blonde and her friend! A black guy and a white woman! An exhusband and his abused wife! Our emperors used the time- honored ingredients of sex, blood, money and murder, which every wannabe New York Times Best Seller List novelist knows are absolutely essential components for a smash hit.
This is actually funny. This trial and its outcome does not affect a single person in this country, excepting OJ Simpson and perhaps Mark Fuhrman, who, get this, might go to jail for being a racist scumbag perjuror. Seems to me the judge should join him there for allowing such buffoonery in an American courtroom. And that's it, folks. It doesn't touch your life one bit, it doesn't cost you money (unless you're a taxpayer in LA or OJ), it doesn't put gas in your car, buy your wife a fur coat, feed your kids, clean your basement, or save your life. IT DOESN'T MATTER TO YOU ONE BIT. Then why did I hear people yelping with joy, crying with fear, or gnashing their teeth with fury yesterday? Powerful drug, that television!
Ah, yes. The ancient pickpocket's scam: grab the guy, get his attention, and pick his pocket! Hey, it still works, doesn't it? The media basically stuck their filthy little hands down our figurative, collective crotch and tickled our "fancies" for over a year ... while some other hands were lifting our wallet from our back pocket. So what gives? What ELSE went on while all America kept its eyes on the non-important OJ Simpson trial? What didn't the media want us paying attention to?
Well, a federal building blew up in Oklahoma, and there are sure signs that there was more than one explosion involved. And the man who "masterminded" this deed was moronic enough to get caught with no driver's license and a visible gun? Uh huh, oh you bet. There's a couple of federal agencies who out and out lied, whined and cried their way through a couple of congressional hearings-- even though these agencies felt perfectly justified in murdering citizens, they got off, no punishment. They got off because no one cared. No one cared because no one watched because they were all so caught up in the OJ Simpson Trial Show. The federal government is corrupt with drug and gun-running lucre. (What was that about Mena Arkansas?) There's a potential World War III brewing with the war in the Balkans, trouble in Iraq and Korea (and who knows what China is up to), there's a potential stock market crash and worldwide financial disaster looming (hey, but in the meantime folks, look at that DOW Jones! Stocks are booming! Buy Now!), the elite of this country have been picking our pockets, "downsizing" our jobs right out the door, and passing legislation that guarantees the loss of our freedoms. We've been robbed, folks, of our money, our livelihoods, and our freedom. Not to mention our self-respect.
I'm tired of saying wake up, America. I'm tempted to start picking your pocket myself.
Patricia Neill
pnpj@db1.cc.rochester.edu
I encourage distribution of "Conspiracy Nation."