All to Blame, if any...

In all honestly, though public discourse has become more and more pathetic, I do not believe that public discourse has become too pathetic. This is primarily due to the fact that emotions are what interest us. Unless reading for the facts, people don't typically read a book unless it is full of emotion and things that draw our attention. So people over-exaggerate a little. So they make something out of nothing and at times make viewers and readers everywhere a little crazy. The problem is--the media does this because the people crave it. This may be a hard truth to face but it is also a hard truth to deny. Whether you are reading a book, listening to a speech, or hearing the news, emotion and pathos need to be involved. As horrible as it is, we are drawn to these appeals by nature. That being said, the receivers are to blame just as much as the presenters and if public discourse attempts to become less pathetic, well, everyone is going to be a little disappointed.