Where's the Beef With This War?

I have been floored by the lack of American protests regarding President Obama ordering us into a third war. Other than a few extremely clever videos

and some amusing satirical cartoons that have appeared on the Internet,

most Americans have expressed little outrage. Am I not doing an effective job as a blogger?

Bloggers can, and have, made a difference, as Dan Rather, Trent Lott, George Allen, and Jeff Gannon have all discovered.

Audience size obviously plays a big part. A blogger can increase his or her audience by getting their URL into Facebook and other social network sites, promoting their posts on Twitter, and linking to other blogs. It takes much work.

Maybe I’m spoiled. As a broadcaster, I often had a ready-made audience. When I did play-by-play for the Brockton Rox, an independent baseball team in Massachusetts, I also had the added thrill of getting immediate reactions. From my perch in the broadcast booth at lovely Campanelli Stadium, I could look down upon the crowd and see many people listening to my broadcast on their radios. I would say something on the air and actually watch people respond. They were able to see the game unfolding right before them, but many still wanted to hear what I was saying about it. It was a huge compliment. I was blown away.

Joined in the broadcast booth at Campanelli Stadium by Hall of Famer Ernie Harwell

With this blog, I am still working to obtain an audience and to establish a voice. If it causes one person to question his or her own beliefs, whether or not it changes them, I’ll feel as if I have made a difference. Maybe blogging will open the door to a new or bigger audience. Since I feel the two-party system is failing us and I most closely identify my political beliefs with those of the Libertarian Party, maybe I will wind up focusing on getting their message heard. I am also anxious to experiment with podcasts given my success in radio. The Internet has opened so many possibilities.

For now, my podium is this blog, and if it resonates with someone and they respond by protesting a war, I will likely have the same feeling I did when I stated something to my radio listeners in Brockton and a dozen fans turned in their seats, looked up at the broadcast booth, and gave me a smile and a thumbs up!