by Corky von Texasheim

Created on: June 20, 2008

We seem to be living in a strange age in this country. I write from the heart of the Texas panhandle, very close to New Mexico which is, contrary to popular belief, actually part of the United States.

Dr. Phil is seen as a real "healer" that can fix "that poor Britney," people are still debating whether or not evolution really happened, and hordes of people consult chiropractors for their various ailments (before you get mad about that last sentence, consult a Palmer text book... it's bad).

And now I find myself amidst a debate concerning the possible merits of using an "animal communicator."

I'll pause whilst you mutter words like "snob" or "elitist" under your breath. Yes, I admit it freely. I am both of those things, but only because currently in this culture "college educated" has been constructed to mean those two derogatory words. And before those of you who are quick to simply dismiss me as one of those words, in my defense, I was the first in my family to attain a four year degree, and I worked my way through school at a blue collar job while I studied anthropology.

In short, an education used to be something to be lauded and to be greatly proud of. But now it means something that's somehow unsavory. Because this is how the concept of "education" is currently constructed, it's avoided by many because it is an "indoctrination." Because of that, many of you reading this will flatly refuse to even read past this paragraph, without knowing that words like "elitist" and "indoctrinated" have been inexplicably linked together as of late, especially since Bush's re-election, just like "WMD" and "Iraq" have been linked together. Add to that words like "France" "Muslim" and "bad." In this country right now, "if it ain't Toby Keith, it's bad." Right?

What I'm trying to express in "Snob-speak" is that this state of affairs is very much by design.

The truth is sad, and it's that we live in a capitalist country that depends on myriads of people who don't read very much, are dispossessed, and those pulling snake oil tricks are just DYING to take money off the hands of those who would pay for something like an "animal communicator."

My heart truly goes out to those of you out there in Cyberland who've lost your four legged, furry, family members. However, my heart goes out more due to the fact that many of you were taken by these charlatans.

I have fond memories of sitting on the Easter Bunny's lap at the mall in Flint, Michigan when I was a child, dreaming merrily of a

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