Money-making motives do not serve
Corporations understand their primary objective is to make profits so that chief executive officers can receive enormous salaries and shareholders can be paid substantial dividends. In addition, when earnings increase, the corporation’s stock rises in the stock market allowing investors to make profits on the sale. Therefore, to be successful, providing the public what it wants is a priority.
The problem is that what the public wants is a steady diet of violence, bloodshed, guns and sex, and its appetite really hasn’t changed much over the years. Think about the persecution of Christians during the early days of the Roman Empire, where lions were turned lose on Christians in the Coliseum and gladiators fought to the death, with the gallery cheering on the spectacle. Think about the appeal of public hangings of criminals, along with the activities of the Ku Klux Klan in the murder of black people. Think about the Salem witch trials where innocent people were burned at the stake before cheering crowds.
You can see a continuation of this thirst for blood by watching the most popular movies and television programs. Zombies on the attack, battle scenes filled with blood and violence, with axes and spears the weapons of choice; the sports of football, boxing, ice hockey and stock car racing, and mini-series about serial killers. When you add in video games glorifying violence and mayhem, along with a generous sprinkling of sex, it shouldn’t be any wonder that there is so much crime in today’s society. Firearms are always available and are being put to use in growing numbers as a way to settle an argument or to punish someone who has disrespected you. When corporations are blamed for being part of the problem, they scream in outrage that their products have nothing to do with the overall breakdown in law and order across the country.
The owners of professional football teams continue to question whether players’ brain injuries are caused by repeated concussions, but you know they are keeping their fingers crossed. They realize fans want to see jolting impacts and injuries, and taking them away from the game would cause the public to lose interest, and reduce the industries’ profits. You may recall the tobacco industry always denied that cigarettes caused health problems when they were aware all along that such was the case.
What the country really needs is for the public to modify their unhealthy addictions and to take a stand against the corporations getting rich by producing products that are so harmful. If you think our politicians are going to take action in this area, when it might cost them campaign contributions and votes, you are dreaming. The act of boycotting the most offending industries could be a first step; hit them where it hurts, in the pocket book.
Refusing to get involved in confronting these industries is just what they are counting on — apathy.
BASS TRUMBO
Fayetteville