Once upon a time in a land far away, I found out that someone I knew very well was cheating on their significant other. Not wanting to cause trouble, but scared for my friend to mess up the good relationship they had, I mentioned to the guilty party that I knew and to please try to do the right thing.
Now I am not saying that I handled this issue correctly. I am not sure if there is a “right way” to handle such an awkward situation.
I did know that I would never tell the innocent spouse, because that is definitely not my place. However, my friend must not have felt so confident that I would keep my mouth shut. This “friend” went crazy and decided to discredit and embarrass me so that if I did say anything, hopefully no one would believe me.
And with that, they tried to injure my credibility and ended a long friendship.
While listening to the news today, I realized that the people in power right now are trying to do the same thing.
Maybe I am slow, but while listening to the stories about the current administration and Russia it dawned on me that this whole “fake news” thing has been a set up.
Believe me, with a son who is a journalist I know that sometimes news outlets want to be first with a story and put that over worrying about accuracy. But I also know ethical journalists (including my son) who won’t put out news until it is fact checked. And if put in a position to tell an unsubstantiated story will state that it is still being investigated or is uncorroborated.
I also know that more and more media outlets are getting slanted to sharing only their point of view and instead of just stating the facts without bias, they color their reports with their opinions.
That is why I try to read reputable sources and other sources that are slanted both ways. I figure somewhere in there is the truth. I am a smart enough adult to try to sift through all of that and come up with some semblance of the facts. I watch the speeches and press conferences, so I see with my own eyes and hear it with my own ears live as things happen. I stay informed. It is exhausting sometimes, but essential.
If the average citizen is not willing to take the time to decipher the news and is told that the news is suspect, then it is easy to get away with “cheating.” Then, even when they get caught they can say that the discredited media is just making up stuff again. They can claim it is more “fake news.” And people will have that doubt that was previously planted in their minds.
When I found out about my friend’s infidelity, I was quickly discredited and silenced. It was a heartbreaking experience to go through. Seeing that being done on a national scale, seeing the parallel between my awful experience and what is happening in the world of politics today, is terrifying.
I have asked before and I will again-DO YOUR RESEARCH. Don’t take any one person or group’s word for anything. Don’t stick your head in the sand and hope for the best. Use common sense- if it sounds fishy, it might be! If it doesn’t sound probable to you, explore, dig deeper.
If we are a country of the people, for the people, then guess what? YOU are the people. I am the people. It is our job to be the people who keep this country safe and free. It is our job to seek the truth, whatever that might be.
