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I still believe that there is much good in the world. Some might call me naïve. Some might suggest that I am a version of Pinocchio in the television ads, and my nose keeps growing. Others tell me to take a long, hard look at the condition of the city/state/country/planet, and get back to them when I return to reality. Then I share with them these emails:

• A pastor wants to bring his Confirmation Class and their parents to our Shabbat morning service.
• Musicians offer their compositions as gifts. The head of a college music department wants to present us with a concert of Jewish music.
• Artists send their sculptures, paintings, and drawings as gifts.
• An area public school system has an opening guest speaker every year for all of its employees, and has invited me to speak about resiliency and hope.
• Untold numbers have lamented to me about the H speech that has infected national politics.
• People from across the country come to town for a conference, and attend our services in support.
• National organizations that hold conferences in town seek me as a guest speaker to offer words of promise.

I find it unacceptable that media continue to drown us with an overwhelming amount of negative news. Yes, we know that bad stuff happens, but I submit to you that the balance of bad to good is horrifically out of whack. While it is nice to dream of the late news offering twenty minutes of uplift followed by all the murder and mayhem of the day, there is no reason to overdose us with solely the worst society has to offer.

Where is our encouragement to do good when it is not deemed newsworthy? The current formula is to commit a felony so you can appear on television. The opening pages of newspapers are filled with the same. An independent, extra-terrestrial visitor would think that humanity is incapable of doing good.

There are lots of brave, good people out there, doing their best every day to leave the world a bit better than it was when they awoke in the morning. It is easy to become frustrated with all that media choose to feed us. I reject their diet. I choose to take in the good, and share it with you. Pass it around. Share it with others. We must regain balance. A singular diet is never healthy.  You would think that the media would know this.