A small sign of local spiritual healing?

[get the red out]

This may not even belong in ASAH, but boy I take it as an excellent sign of just a small measure of spiritual healing in my local community. There was an FM station that for a number of years broadcast non-stop syndicated hate radio all day and night (pausing only for NASCAR). My husband said that, much to his Republican dismay, he turned on that station and it has gone to nothing but country music, LOL! I was ELATED! I have wished for so long for at least that station to disappear, and in effect, it has. Listing to music about getting drunk and loosing your wife and your dog and getting drunk again is so much healthier than non-stop hate. :P

I took it as a sign that hate is less profitable now than during the Bush years. And for something to make less money, it must have fewer listeners. It is a small sign of progress, but I feel that it is progress. I really needed to learn that yesterday also because I went to WAR with some hate-mongers on Facebook yesterday then came home and snapped like crazy at hubby. I don't like it when I get wrapped up in my own anger at and fear of those people.

One more major hate-station to go in Lexington, KY. I wish it would just go all sports, I would listen to it a lot then myself!

I also realized in my meditation this morning that what I really want so badly is for us to reclaim the decency we had before hate radio destroyed our country, that decency combined with the progress we have made, despite the hate, on inclusiveness would be a beautiful thing IMO.

[kentauros]

1. I'm surprised someone used an FM station for that to begin with.

Normally, radio corporations like to use them for music only, since the fidelity is so much better on FM than AM. I would guess that it may have been moved to an AM station owned by the same company, but at least it is off of FM for ya :)

I stopped listening to commercial radio here in 1977 when I discovered public radio, especially the Pacifica network (locally KPFT) and Rice Radio (KTRU.) Never went back to the commercial stuff, unless I was trying to find a traffic report ;)

[MorningGlow]

2. FM talk radio is a positive sign

A couple of weeks ago Stephanie Miller announced they were starting up her show on an FM talk station in Syracuse, which is practically unheard of. What's interesting is that FM station is going to be airing right- AND left-wing shows--talk about an interesting premise! Anyway, on Steph they were saying that FM definitely reaches more people (remember when it was the opposite?) I wonder if it's a sign of things to come. If the left covers FM, I sure hope so!

[kentauros]

3. If you go to the public end of the dial

(anything below 92mhz) you'll find that many of those stations are already pretty liberal, whether they are college or community stations. Unfortunately, too many people I've met that do still listen to FM rarely, or even never, venture to those stations. It's almost an alien concept to them to listen to "public" radio :o

[get the red out]

8. That's not a bad premise

And I think it would eventually tone down the hate if more of that would happen. We need discorse, but what we have had pretending to be discussion is frightening.

I wish a station would get brave and dare to try some liberal programming here. The University is a huge part of this city and the university community is not right wing.

[get the red out]

4. This one was on for quite some time

This one operate for a number of years as hate talk, and there are two local AM stations that air hate talk, the main one being the Clear Channel AM station. They were competing with the others, the AM that airs some but not all hate, and the all hate and some sports Clear Channel station.

Prior to 911 all the radio stations had more variety including syndicated sports and technology shows and more local programming. After 911 most voices were eliminated that weren't all about war cheering and jeering all opinions that weren't absolutely far right. It was an almost instant change it seemed. I am hoping this is a harbinger of the pendulum swinging back just a little bit.

I am pretty much music only with some sports so far as radio goes myself, but my husband has been listening to hate for years, he was surprised to loose one of his sources for the dark side. He is a naturally gentle man whose personality has been greatly affected by his listening to these shows, I believe he has become addicted to the angry tone of them that makes politics like an "us vs them" death match. Anytime a source disappears it is good news for him and our lives together, as a personal aside. I have seen him just as content listening to sports shows, or other types of talk programming, and his mind and soul would be less damaged IMO if there was more of that for him to listen to.

My situation gives me a perspective on hate radio that a lot of liberals don't experience. I have litterally watched personality changes take place in a person when they are listening to it compared to when they are not. It is like seeing the after-effects of an addict getting a fix, you may not have seen the drug being injested but you see the personality change FAST. I can tell in the evenings how much he has listened to during the day, seriously.

[kentauros]

5. I can relate to the personality changes, only from a liberal perspective

instead of the other way around. For myself, back when I was married, my wife felt I was more negative, thanks to reading The Nation, The Texas Observer and reading the liberal blogs far more than I do now. My negativity was coming not from hate, but seeing all the bad stuff Bush, the corporations and the Republicans were doing to the country and the world. When I had a period of unemployment and couldn't afford to subscribe to those magazines anymore, I "got better" ;)

Still, I would suggest checking out your public radio stations. Many of the college stations also air their sports games on the weekends when the corporate stations won't be. And you never know what you might find in the way of liberal programming that isn't music or sports :D

[get the red out]

6. I absolutely agree

And have had a similar experience. I used to sit and listen to liberal online radio all day while working and spend any free moment on Daily Kos or the DU General discussion board and was incredibly stressed worrying about what the Republicans would pull next that I was miserable. I have pulled back in a major way in the past few months and have had the same result you experienced. I don't even listen to the news, I can't, I still get too upset at the Republicans and completely stressed out. I just have to let all that go for now. My mental and physical health can't take it.

[BanzaiBonnie]

7. People are good

People are good, people are good, people are good, people are good...

[get the red out]

9. Not a bad mantra

Two men I personally know who are absoutely addicted to hate radio (my husband and my cousin, who is WORSE than my husband by far) are gentle natured men outside politics. Good people who try to help others, when not controlled by the "spell".

My cousin can go from having pictures of his little girl and his pug dog on Facebook to all assult rifle pictures all the time when he's also quoting the hate spew he's heard.

Addiction to anger, hate and judgement are spiritual problems IMO, I pray for the people of this country to get well.

[Fire Walk With Me]

11. Things are getting worse for the haters as Feedback increases.

They shall feel it as a stifling, black fog pressing in upon them, filled with pinpricks. They have the option to change, if they can become aware of the nature of the situation. Conversely, it is an excellent time to follow BonzaiBonnie's mantra :)

[Fire Walk With Me]

10. Hmm...

"Listing to music about getting drunk and loosing your wife and your dog and getting drunk again is so much healthier than non-stop hate.:P"

:)

I'm not certain I completely agree... "YeeHaw!" is just not a lifestyle by any adequate definition :rofl:

(Yes, it's a good sign, regardless) :hi: