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Maybe I'm getting too cynical these days, but do you watch the local news and look at your major newspapers? To me they seem to get more and more lazy. The TV news relies on the "big" story at the time (Kosovo, Monica, Jon Benet, etc.) and anything with violence, whether caused by humans or nature. If it's an hour long show, they spend at least 1/4 of the time repeating the major stories (and another 1/4 doing promos on what they've just reported and what's coming up). I deliberately watched the local news twice yesterday, choosing two different stations. We have a serial rapist in town, a young man hospitalized from a hit and run, horrible pollen counts and no rain. The local favorite didn't win the Masters. Internationally, it's bombs and refugees. The newspapers aren't much better. I get a Sunday paper that's almost too heavy to lift, and yet there's not much to read in it. The weight is all from advertising. I had no idea Bishop Tutu was here in Atlanta until Ivan brought it to our attention, and I LIVE HERE in Atlanta. Of course, the media are driven by ratings, which they hope will translate to profits. The ratings indicate that the public wants to watch violence, local weather and local sports...and not much else. I wish I had some answers. Maybe I'm just venting here, but I have to wonder if we're too nice, even when we try so hard to be vocal. Jane Koenig Marietta, GA