The Handshake Distraction

All week I've been hit with people talking about the impact of one motion of humanity that has been scrutinized into near parody at this point. It started with right wing pundits getting scared about a book handed to Obama by Hugo Chávez. Right wing and more extreme non-partisan parties were up in arms over the written word. This is the first time I've heard people really squabble in the mainstream over a book, in my life time. Of course, that makes me really young, or really dumb for not referencing "Holy Blood Holy Grail" or "The Da Vinci Code" and the amount of paranoia surrounding those to similar books. However, not since Carter's book about the Middle East has people's interest in a "reading" spiked to epic proportions.

It wouldn't be epic if it were not for the fact that "Open Veins of Latin America" shove "Twilight" from the #2 spot on Amazon.com.

But that's not the focal point of this. I'm talking about the amount of press coverage that was given to the act of a hand shake. That's right, a simple gesture, frozen in time has created a rift in many different places because you now have to side on one of two sides.

The first side will have you backing Obama's decision to talk to Hugo Chavez, even though the meeting seemed obviously coming for some time. Or you're on the side that Obama is shaking hands with what could be the next big enemy for The U.S.

Honestly, by even writing this post, I feel that I'm starting to beat a dying horse. I'm throwing my two cents at this, but as I continue to think about it, I realize what many might have missed. By focusing on the singular activity that might have been a passing moment in time, I have distracted myself from other news stories from around Latin America and even in my home town of Seattle, Wa.

Take this in mind, that this handshake and the discussions that followed, are signs that a myopic view of news and culture will only help us ignore the world around us. Maybe this is the last time I'll visit this, I mean that is really just wishful thinking.

src - Abc News, Sun Sentinel, Idaho Mountain Express, Washington Post, Time, Fox News