Someone said that we cynics aren't all bad, because beneath all of our "No's" is one hearty and unassailable "YES." 'Tis true, for unless you believe with all your heart that things could and should be better, you will not be offended by how screwed up things are.

I read the New York Times most days, and I always wonder why as it is so depressing, with its equal focus on war/disaster/human misery and high society/fashion. How can one little plastic bag on my doorstep every

morning bring news of a church shooting and a deadly earthquake on one page and what Bambi Steingarten-Rothschild-Morgenstern wore to her sweet sixteen party on the next? Of such things cynics are made. Should I stop reading the paper? I find myself cursing America every day and fantasize about the expatriate life in Tanzania or Bolivia, where the rich get richer and the poor are slaugh- tered but I can ignorantly lounge on a pristine beach and sip vodka-tonics and suckle Marlboro Lights. But then that ember of hope reignites.

Cynicism is a shackle, and no news is good news, but in America we have news!! As much as it disturbs my inner peace, it is our greatest freedom. Freedom of speech really is the cornerstone of democracy. In most countries--even Canada--you can be thrown in jail for criticizing the government. The fact that I can get outraged about our government being sold to the highest corporate bidder, in the process obliterating individual rights and privacy, is actually a blessing! Cuz if I'm pissed off, hopefully at least one million other readers are, too.

But can I live my day to day existence while knowing that the Bible Belt has a stranglehold on American morality, that Disney and the Dairy Association are poisoning our youth, and that most pedestrians are killed in crosswalks? No. I can't. Throw in some Greenpeace/Humane Society statistics, and I will positively jump off a bridge!! BUT!! If you read between the lines on the newsprint, the word "Hope" appears. Yes, humans are selfish, greedy, and tacky, but there are more cynical saviors out there than you think, working for the salvation of all that is still beautiful and good. The simple fact that you can read about misery and betrayal is a start. The important thing is to get outraged, tell someone about it, and keep the information flowing while simultaneously saying "YES" to the world with the hope that things can change. This is our responsibility as Americans. If you shirk it, you must die or move to Canada! Freedom of speech and freedom of information are the cornerstones of democracy. Use 'em or lose 'em!!