Bang… bang… bang… bang… bang…
That’s my head hitting my desk.
Is the human race so addicted to rushing to judgment that we would rather express our outrage than know the truth?
This is making the rounds on Facebook:
Yes, the visitor center at Mt. Rushmore has been closed as part of the United States Government shutdown. The House has voted to reopen national parks. But the photo? It’s not real.
I mean, of course it’s not real. You and I and everyone with half an ounce of common sense knows there aren’t really helicopters hovering with A GIANT BEDSHEET covering Mt. Rushmore.
But you should read the comments…hundreds of them: anger, rage, hatred, complete belief and such an utter lack of common sense that your head will spin.
And if your head spins, by golly, someone needs to be blamed!!
Stop it. Just stop it. Take a breath.
I’m not saying everything’s rosy… far from it. I think the fact that the U.S. Congress continues to get paid during the shutdown tells you it’s time for a serious recalibration of our political system.
If we’re going to evolve and rise above the muck and scum, please do me a favor… and please encourage everyone you know to do you a favor.
When you first learn of something, please take ten extra minutes to do a little more research to make sure it’s true… or isn’t.
I’m not saying what you believe is wrong… unless it actually, verifiably is.
And when you blindly or blithely share easily provable untruths, you’re part of the problem, not the solution. I trust you less. Your argument carries less weight. You hurt your cause. That’s not what you want, is it?
Go to Snopes. Do some research. Get more than one source. Learn more about the opposing side’s argument. Let’s elevate the level of debate.
Unless you just want to be angry.
I think it is just a sad reflection of the times. Journalists aren’t even taking the time to check their facts because it is more important to be first than to be correct. I am a researcher at heart and I find it so irresponsible not to check the facts. During the Sandy Hook Massacre they were naming his brother as the gun man for most of the day. Just last week when the lady was shot for running through the barracades a news source posted a picture of her with two other ladies in a photo. No one was blurred out or cropped. I certainly wouldn’t want my photo posted in assiciation with a criminal. And if you are posting an article that is from a source called allthewaytotheright.com or allthewaytotheleft.com facts should def be checked.
This is a great time for us to re-calibrate! How do we do it?