I find it remarkable to watch how the media is used to shape/influence the conventional wisdom of our day. Let me explain.
Not that many years ago, large majorities of the populus when polled would speak their opposition to same-sex marriages. After a few years of media coverage framing the debate in terms of "human rights" and the societal consensus was at least shattered if not entirely reversed such that today such unions are accepted as normative, and the prior held consensus is reassigned as "bigotry" or "homophobia".
The same thing is now well underway as regards society's position on euthanasia. Again it is not long ago that the overwhelming majority of Canadians opposed it. Now after the Sue Rodriguez story, the Terry Latimer & Teery Shiavo controversies the pendulum has swung in the other direction.
Here is another story taken from today's National Post that demonstrates just how much the ground is changing from under our feet. Check it out on their website and think about how it is that the media has been the medium by which these societial consensus is moved.
Remember, nothing is so firmly held as true than conventional wisdom, until that moment when it is held no longer.
http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/holy-post/archive/2009/11/02/canadians-still-have-reservations-regarding-euthanasia-poll.aspx
Not that many years ago, large majorities of the populus when polled would speak their opposition to same-sex marriages. After a few years of media coverage framing the debate in terms of "human rights" and the societal consensus was at least shattered if not entirely reversed such that today such unions are accepted as normative, and the prior held consensus is reassigned as "bigotry" or "homophobia".
The same thing is now well underway as regards society's position on euthanasia. Again it is not long ago that the overwhelming majority of Canadians opposed it. Now after the Sue Rodriguez story, the Terry Latimer & Teery Shiavo controversies the pendulum has swung in the other direction.
Here is another story taken from today's National Post that demonstrates just how much the ground is changing from under our feet. Check it out on their website and think about how it is that the media has been the medium by which these societial consensus is moved.
Remember, nothing is so firmly held as true than conventional wisdom, until that moment when it is held no longer.
http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/holy-post/archive/2009/11/02/canadians-still-have-reservations-regarding-euthanasia-poll.aspx
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