Fear of sharks
The June 21 BDN article “ 40 years after ‘Jaws,’ great white sightings off Maine coast” touched upon the correlation between the movie “Jaws,” its popularity in the United States and its effect on the way the general public views sharks.
The movie, with its tagline “don’t go in the water,” affected people’s behavior; in turn, fewer people went to the beach after the release of the movie. The menacing great white shark became common talk, and sharks quickly became of high interest and were stereotyped as monsters.
Even today it seems to be a fixed belief that sharks are monsters, an example of symbolic interactionism. I think had it not been for “Jaws” the level of public interest in sharks would be equal to that of a black bear. The public is aware bears can be dangerous; however, most people do not refrain from spending time outside because of the possibility of their presence. Because the media has not portrayed these animals as extremely dangerous creatures, the public interest and fear is rather low.
This concept is called the agenda-setting theory. I don’t believe the three shark sightings would have been reported had “Jaws” not been so influential on the public.
Madeline Pearson
Fryeburg
Media bias
It has been a growing concern of mine that news outlets across the U.S. present the topic of gay marriage in a way that is inconsistent with their philosophies and, quite frankly, hypocritical. While I support gay marriage, it bothers me to see people who do not support gay marriage chastised by the media for their beliefs and “intolerance.”
In countless articles, I see the media praising individuals for standing up against religious oppression, but I do not see the same media coverage for those who do not support gay marriage because of religious beliefs. Demonizing these people because their views do not align with the opinions of others simply is hypocritical.
By picking and choosing when to praise and criticize people’s religious beliefs, the media compromise the legitimacy of the work produced. The overwhelming majority of those who do not support gay marriage are law-abiding citizens who contribute to society in many ways. When the media present stories in a way that pits one side against the other, with one side clearly being disrespected, it is hard to preach tolerance and encourage finding middle ground.
In my view of America, we all should be capable of agreeing to disagree in a way both parties have a sense of security. Unfortunately, I am losing faith in the media’s ability to portray this debate in an equitable manner as a bias places one view as more acceptable than another.
Matt Simone
Orono
Brian Williams’ apology
Recently, Brian Williams gave his first interview since his suspension from NBC Nightly News. After carrying a suspension for about five months, Williams apologized for lying about being in a helicopter under fire while in Iraq in 2003 and said his suspension “has been torture.” Some people may think he should get a second chance in news, but does he really deserve it?
Williams readily admitted to lying on multiple occasions in the news but believes he has fixed his problem and is ready to join the news team again. While on suspension, he watched many of his old clips from the Nightly News and didn’t like who he saw. Ego and desire were responsible for embellishing his news stories. The requirement to become more witty, intelligent and funny stressed out the anchor to a point where the truth had to be stretched.
But Americans want to hear the truth when it comes to news and not some action story that draws their attention. As a person who delivers updates on world events to thousands of people in America, there is no such thing as a white lie.
Williams has apologized multiple times and promised this will never happen again, but one must truly think about how reliable he is. If ego and the stress of media in America were able to dilute his moral values once, who’s to say it can’t happen again?
Jackson Griffin
Orono
Is LePage OK?
Seriously, some of us are worried. His behavior as of late has been troubling. His short temper and sudden drop in emotional maturity have led many of my friends and co-workers to wonder if the rigors of Maine’s highest elected office are starting to get to him.
I may not always agree with his politics, but I would hate to see him literally lose his mind as a result of the stresses of his office. The question should be: Has it all become too much for him?
Lucas Good
Portland
Standing for peace
Saturday morning on the Lubec Triangle opposite the IGA three or four of us stand for peace. We stand in the wind, sometimes the rain, sometimes atop the snowdrifts and always when the sun shines. Sometimes a few folks join us. None of us is young or particularly courageous. We stand out of a belief war is not the answer to the world’s problems. Many passers-by give us a friendly wave or toot. In the winter, we often are treated to a warm coffee by a local sympathizer.
But not last Saturday morning. Two men in a car with Massachusetts plates drove by, stuck their hands out the window, pointed index fingers and thumbs at us and laughingly shouted, “Bang! Bang! Bang!” Then they drove off. Given what happened last week in South Carolina, it was a sobering and scary moment.
Back in 1961 and faced with the draft, I volunteered for the U.S. Army and spent three years serving my country. I firmly believe every one of us, man or woman, owes something to this country for the privilege of being able to stand and say, “No. I disagree. Not in my name.” In many parts of the world, the weapon would not have been imaginary.
I thank those two men for the reminder. I will be standing again next week. I am a proud member of Veterans for Peace.
Dick Hoyt
Lubec