The Wait

By Gordon Hopkins Most of the writing I do for this paper focuses primarily on hard news, which is to say, timely (well, as timely as one can be in a weekly paper), important, factual news that doesn't take sides in disputes. At least, it shouldn't. Yes, often there are opinions stated in such stories, but they should not be the writer's.And, of course, journalists need to strike a balance between the various opinions. That is not to say all opinions are created equal and deserve the same, or any, coverage. I am not obligated to give up precious inches in my newspaper to a flat Earth theorist because I happen to be quoting Neil deGrasse Tyson. Yet, even deciding what opinion is worth reporting and what isn't is an opinion. Striking a balance can be a real balancing act. There is irony in there somewhere. Not every journalist succeeds, of course. Many don't even try. So much of today's news presents one side versus the other. It is really easy for both writers and readers to think, “These are the goodies and these are the baddies and never the twain shall meet.”This is a dangerously simplistic world view. Yet it is nearly impossible to avoid. Editorials and opinion pieces, like my column, are different from hard news. There, the writer is allowed, even expected, to express opinions. Even so, with a very few exceptions, I avoid taking sides the more contentious matters of the day, preferring instead to write frippery about my cats.And now, I am writing about the Middle East. So, why am I writing about the single most contentious issue on the planet, an issue that has been contentious for the last 2,000 plus years? Because I have a friend who is currently in Amman, Jordan. He is a tour guide and traveler and equal parts trouble shooter/trouble maker. He recently posted his observations and reminded me that, between the “good guys” and “bad guys,” there are regular people just trying to live their lives. With his permission, this is what he wrote, “Amman has an odd feeling about it today. There is a quiet, subdued and cautious feeling in the air. Occasionally a few military jets will roar overhead and every window is quickly filled with people looking into the sky… checking east first and then west. No missiles. Back to the couch or kitchen with one eye on the window. It’s Monday morning and the usual horns and traffic noises have been replaced with the gentle hum of water pumps on each building. Cooler heads are not prevailing… something will likely fly over our heads… but from which direction. Will it trigger a response? We will probably have to wait until nighttime before anything happens, but across Jordan - everyone is looking up.” This is the part that tends to get forgotten in the endless, raging fight over who are the “good guys” and who are the “bad guys.” Caught in the middle are the every day people waiting for the other shoe to drop.

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