Journalism
Delivering Distressing Headlines Curbs My Expectant Enthusiasm
The only “Bad News Bears” I want to see anytime soon are on film
Perhaps it’s because of my impending grandmamahood, but Sunday’s headlines got me thinking some kinda way.
Did you know that at least 44 percent of all Americans between the ages of 18–49 say they’re not planning to have children? Three years ago, that number was 37 percent. About 3.6 million babies were born here last year, the lowest U.S. birth rate since 1979.
Maybe these stats have something to do with finances, health, age, or the status of climate change these days. But I’m thinking those choosing to abstain from parenthood really are trying to shield future generations from all these recent bearers of bad news.
Take, for example, other headlines from Sunday:
- Facebook, apparently, treats its users of color — most specifically Blacks — differently. This, of course, results in racial bias. Are you surprised? I’m not.
- The MAGA-verse is gaining influence on the far right. No surprise there but terrifying, nonetheless. Apparently, there’s quite the demand for acolytes of the former bloated orange guy in the “political purity” trenches. We’re talking those keeping close quarters with Boebert, Gaetz, Greene, et al. Yuck.
- The Marine Corps has the lowest vaccination rate in the U.S. military. I’m proud of the U.S. Navy, which clocks in with the highest COVID vaccination rate of 77 percent. The bad news is that the Marines, who often share vessels with sailors, weigh in at a measly 58 percent. About 57 percent of the overall U.S. adult population is fully vaccinated, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, by way of comparison. So I reckon the Marines can say they’ve successfully — for now — stormed that COVID-19 beachhead. By 1 percent.
- Your holiday shopping could affect the damaged global supply chain. I’ve written about this as it applies to our family — specifically our urgent need to acquire disposable diapers. But The New York Times has a whole tutorial on how what we do in the next month, vis-à-vis Santa Claus and his merry little elves, affects the rest of us and our immediate needs.
- Misogyny, violence define the Goons of Putin. AKA, of course, the GOP. That dang Washington Post paywall might prevent you from viewing this excellent Jennifer Rubin analysis, but Reddit provides a shortcut. Yeah, all about that Paul Gosar creep in Congress and his malicious enmity toward AOC and Uncle Joe.
- Florida lawmakers work to thwart a clean bill of health for the state. Rethuglicans in the Florida legislature passed a package of bills making it more difficult for companies to enforce mask mandates. Lovely folks, huh?
- Didn’t Joe McCarthy die, like, 60+ years ago? I thought so, but the junior Senator from Louisiana — John Neely Kennedy — embodied every single scintilla of that red-baiting SOB last week while questioning a Biden nominee who was born in the former Soviet Union, but is now a U.S. citizen. Yup, McCarthyism is alive and well in the U.S. Congress, especially in the party that favors Russia, Russia, Russia.
- Jamal Khashoggi fiancée begs JBiebs not to perform in Saudi Arabia. No, your eyes aren’t playing tricks on you. Hatice Cengiz, who planned to marry Khashoggi before his death three years ago at the hands of the Saudis, published an open letter to the pop star entitled, “Justin Bieber, don’t perform for the regime that killed my fiancée. The concert is scheduled for December 5.
- Could the Rittenhouse verdict influence the trial of those accused of killing Ahmaud Arbery? Vigilante Justice, I guess, is a thing now. God help us all.
Yeah, the news is grim these days.
I hope it’s not these particular Bad News Bears that are turning off so many Americans to parenthood. Let’s face it — the 1976 Tatum O’Neal offering was bad enough. But for now, I’d settle for a screening of that particular flick, as opposed to the headlines that have been haranguing us as of late.
I know one thing: It’s good vibes only from now on over at our house.
