Mark Gilroy

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Is America at Its Best Ever?

 

Is America at its best ever?

Matt Goeller is a veteran broadcaster, freelance writer, and father of three. He admits he lost his jump shot years ago!

One of my high school friends, Matt Goeller, posted the following thoughts on Facebook. Like him, they are intelligent, articulate, thought-provoking, and maybe just a little contrarian! I appreciate him giving permission to share what he wrote through my blog. You might agree – or disagree – in all or part, but what a great reminder to think carefully about who determines our perceptions of what is happening in front of our very eyes.

So . . . is America at its best ever? Is that remotely possible?

I read a Facebook post from a friend who I know to be thoughtful and reasonably positive. But on this particular day he was questioning the values of our country and its people based on the fact that he had read more about Caitlyn Jenner winning a sports hero award than he had about servicemen being murdered on American soil. His closing comment was a sarcastic one about what a great time it is to be an American.

The-media-paints-aI feel it is a great time to be an American, but too many of us feel a sense of doom and gloom.

Is it possible that America is no different or even better than it ever was and that you may be using the wrong yardstick to pass judgement on your country and its citizens? Allowing yourself to perceive the values of our nation by what you read or hear about via social media and network news reports is a terrible idea. Both of those types of “reporting”  exist for a singular reason that has nothing to do with reporting news. It is there only to provide eyes and ears for advertisers. [Read more…]

10 Warnings On Personal Branding

warnings on personal branding

Warnings on personal branding? I’m not sure what personal branding is—and definitely didn’t know it was dangerous.

Personal branding, defining and refining the you who you want the world to see, makes a lot of sense even if you don’t perceive yourself to be selling yourself or anything else.

Why? Even if you don’t perceive yourself to be selling yourself … you are. Unless, of course, you are a sociopath or a recluse. Selling yourself is really not a bad thing. Most of us would prefer to be liked rather than not liked; respected rather than disrespected; trusted rather than mistrusted; understood rather than misunderstood; heard rather than ignored.

Those are qualities and dynamics we like to sell. And they don’t sound very dangerous.

Personal branding sounds a lot less conniving when we use old adages to describe it, like put your best foot forward or you only have one chance to make a good first impression or dress for the part. [Read more…]

Presumption of Guilt and the Breakdown of Public Discourse

presumption of guilt and the lack of civil discourse

The meeting of the minds has become a contact sport!

Much is made of the lack of civil discourse and the breakdown of public discourse in American culture today. Is it time we declare the meeting of the minds to be a contact sport with special headgear?

The art of diatribe – a long, angry, bitter, satirical criticism against a different opinion – has always been practiced in the public square across generations and cultures. But doesn’t it seem worse than ever? Maybe I’m waxing nostalgic, but even in my lifetime, I seem to remember healthier expressions of dialog and debate on fiercely contested ideas.

Okay … I was born shortly before the Civil Rights Act was signed into law … my childhood was marked by the Roe v. Wade, the Vietnam War, nuclear proliferation, Watergate, and economic Stagflation. So it wasn’t very peaceful then either.

But I still seem to recall the mainstream political debates – every bit as contentious as today’s issues – having more civility. I think. Well … sometimes.

The constant companion of the diatribe today is the ad hominem attack – [Read more…]