Why Do We Care?

Oprah was not allowed into Hermes in Paris after the store was apparently closed. Why do we care? I know I for one have approached a store after they were closed and not allowed entry. Why should it be different for Oprah? Is it because, as some have said, Oprah would have spent a lot of money in Hermes? Is that what is most important in our society? Unfortunately, I suppose it is. It seems that as a culture we have come to believe that if you have celebrity or an obscene amount of wealth you are entitled to preferential treatment. Oprah, who rose to enormous fame in this country as a result of her seemingly everywoman quality, has appeared to me to have lost touch over the last several years with the everyday reality experienced by the fans who provided her with the ability to shop at stores like Hermes. Perhaps this experience will remind her of what life is like for most of her fans.
Tom Cruise is claiming to be thrilled with his new love and wants the world to know. Why should we care? Erratic behavior on Oprah, attacking Brooke Shields' character, and a hostile interview with Matt Lauer are not the symptoms of a man happily in love but rather someone in a crisis. Denials that any of this media blitz has anything to do with the upcoming release of his new film are futile.
Yesterday was gay pride in NYC and my boyfriend and I were there to celebrate it. It was the first time he had ever been to the parade and while we were watching the festivities Dan and Steve, the "gay guys" from "The Next Food Network TV Star", walked by. They would be celebrating more pride even later when they won the competition. Congratulations, guys! They were not the only celebritites at the parade. In this election year the likes of Al Sharpton marched in the parade, surprising some of us in the crowd, but as the saying goes, "Politics makes strange bedfellows."
I am thrilled that the Supreme Court finished their session without any resignations. The idea that the Bush administration, which has succeeded in dividing this country, would be one step closer to stripping the rights of people even further is something I think we all should care about. Why are so many blind to the use of religious fear by the Bush administration as their weapon to beat people into submission? It is frightening to me that in the days and years that followed the tragedy of 9/11 we have not become "one nation . . . indivisible," but rather a nation of factions with one side claiming they are "right." We need to enlighten the administration to the fact that their legacy will not be one of great things. They will be remembered for tearing the country apart, taking us from a budget surplus to insurmountable debt, and for the bloodshed of our young men and women in an unnecessary war. Why should care about this? Because one of the most frightening leaders in recent history rose to power by manipulating the masses through fear and began murdering anyone who did not fit into his idea of an ideal society.