What's wrong with America

Like millions of Americans, I sat in front of my television set prepared to enjoy Super Bowl 46 (I refuse to use Roman Numerals since I’m not in Rome) on Sunday, February 5, 2012.

I watched the singing of the National Anthem. Then, just before the kickoff, NBC played a clip from an upcoming movie, the Dictator, staring Sasha Baron Cohen. The final scene of the clip showed the actor at a track meet, preparing to race what appeared to be a 100 yard dash. He fires off a pistol and begins to run. As the other runners follow suit, he turns the pistol on them and shoots them down.

At first, I thought this was funny. But then it dawned on me that millions of young people had just watched our National Anthem being sung and were waiting for the football game to begin. And this movie clip was the image that someone thought was appropriate to show them? An “athlete” shooting his fellow runners? Worse yet, this commercial was soon followed by one for the 2012 Summer Olympics. I started to wonder what a young child would make of this.

Don’t misunderstand me. I am not if favor of censorship. But there is a time and place for everything. This was neither the time nor the place for this movie clip.

Simply put, what’s wrong with America is that common sense no longer prevails.