2 steps forward, 2 steps back

Although I'm an optimist at heart, sometimes life in America seems to be an intricate dance. Something good seemingly happens in pop culture - public life, and then something bad happens to neutralize it. I try to remind myself that it's just an effect of mass media: Bad news travels faster and farther than good news. For example, you'll see more murders reported on the news even as the murder rates decline, but you'll only hear about a local charitable event once (if any). Even knowing that, it's still difficult, even for optimists like me, to stay cheery all the time. So when I heard that Elizabeth Hasslebeck was finally leaving The View for Fox News (insert eye-roll), I was extremely happy because she's the main reason I stopped watching the program. Then, the happiness instantly evaporated when I found out that there is a chance that anti-vaccine nut-job, Jenny McCarthy, will likely be replacing her. One step forward, another step back. Then, I was really happy that, after ignoring the problem for so long, CBS finally aired footage of all the racism/homophobia that's been taking place behind the scenes of Big Brother 15. Although they've still not shown all of it, I was pleased that they were no longer ignoring it & pretending it wasn't taking place. One step forward. Then we have the George Zimmerman trial, which has become a media spectacle. Instead of this being about seeking justice for the murder of a young man, it's become a social commentary about societies views on African American males. Another step back. Plus, the murderer got off. Two steps back. I'm now waiting for something good to happen to even everything out. And I also try to remind myself that you can't stop progress, you can only slow it down.