I don't mind being taken to task for grandstanding, if that's what I was doing, but I have to stand by my other post. Unfortunately, MTED, I'm beginning to look like Andy Rooney, too.

I don't think we should shut our eyes and walk by when things happen. My participation in this thread betrays my interest in discussing the "human drama". And I don't think muzzling the Press is a good idea - their importance in this here democracy of our'n is not disputed here. And maybe that's what bothers me about what I see in the media, both written and on-the-air. We do not get the news; we get news stories. And that undermines the importance of the media as a means for keeping us informed. My reference to the coverage of many of these stories as soap operas is not unintentional. In the soaps you get synthetic emotions, easily identifiable heroes and villains, contrived situations and convenient resolutions. And that's what people want to see in their new shows, too. So that's what they get. You are right, some people pay attention to these things for all the right reasons - to provide help if possible, out of real concern. But too many people are looking for a quick fix in the sex and/or violence zone. It is nothing but voyeurism. And if you want to talk about cheap, there it is. In my opinion.

Regarding the topic, rather than the context in which I have been seeing it. . . Although I think Janet Reno made the right call here, there seems to be a pattern of long drawn out negotiating, followed by a quick and often violent ending. I'm not sure how it could have been handled better, given the public spotlight and the tendency for people to polarize around these situations in this country. For the child's sake a quick resolution, based on the law and the facts would have been best. But public debate on all issues in the news is seen as a given these days, and the administration would have been blasted if everyone wasn't given a chance to voice their opinion. It was a no win situation made worse, not better, (again in my opinion) by it's value as programming.