Back to the Homepage8-17-98 Today was a historical page within a very historical chapter of American history. Bill Clinton testified to a grand jury about his inappropriate relationship with Monica Lewinsky and then gave testament to the American people about his actions and responsibility. With the recent events swarming about the President and his private life, the office of the President has changed forever and so has the public's interpretation of said office and the holder of that office.
For the past seven months, the American public and especially the media, have been hypnotized by the investigation by the independent council Kenneth Starr which has unnecessarily pried into the private life of President Bill Clinton. Most of the American public cries out, "WHO CARES?!?! It's his life and we don't need to know about it!" Yet, the media has made the investigation and those involved, the top priority when it comes to prime time news. This tells me that people who claim not to care are tuning in to programs which exploit the private life of the President because they are captivated by it. If people really didn't care, they wouldn't tune in, the media would lose their precious ratings, and they would be forced, by economics, to change their topics. But I ask you, why do we need to know about the private lives of public people?
Soon to be aired on NBC is a TV-movie all about the life and tragic death of Diana. And I can GUARANTEE that the people who say that "the private lives of ANYONE should be kept private" will be the same people who watch this TV-movie to hear all about Diana's marital problems, her battles with eating disorders, her various romances, and how her ex-husband Prince (I'd rather call him LOSER) Charles and her two wonderful boys are coping with their mother's death. Why is it OK for us to invade the private life of Diana and the lives of those around her, but the public has strong opinions about invading the life of Bill Clinton? Aren't private lives of ANYONE supposed to be kept private? People who exist in the public realm, whether they are government officials, religious leaders, or Hollywood actors, deserve to have a portion of their life which isn't put on the silver screen or the Channel 7 News @ 10PM. But the public doesn't allow that. The reason is because we envy these people. Most people in the world today find their lives boring or repetitive. But to hear that the President is having an affair or that a beautiful Princess can't keep food down for more than 10 minutes adds a bit of spice to boring life...
I leave you with this thought: Before you make a statement about how someone is being treated, reflect upon your own actions. Furthermore, reflect upon the actions of your life and the thoughts in your mind. See if the two don't contradict each other every once-in-a-while. If you see that they do, try to change for the better.