but I would argue that there is a reason for this overemphasis - these things are being focused upon in the hopes that they can be changed.
That's not the way I read it: I think these incredibly ancillary and marginalized things are being focused on for various reasons. Some, to distract attention away from that are more complicated to understand, and perhaps demand a degree of culpability on other nations(who might go invading and occupying based on false premises). Some, because the temptation to judge and vilify what we don't understand is so hard to understand. And some, because well meaning people are ill informed by the MSM.
I can't do anything about the first two points, but I try and do what I can about the last. Hence, my posts here, in an effort to provide a bit of counter balance.
Finally, I'll leave with this from Hafiz Fear is the cheapest room in the house. I would like to see you living in better conditions, For your mother and my mother were friends. I know the innkeeper in this part of the Universe,
ps-I guess I was thinking of the old s_d, where people could 'friend' each other. No worries :-)