I've been thinking a lot about how what we read forms who we are
particularly right now - I'm reading some wonderful child psychology books by Dr. Leonard Sax - and I can see how what I'm reading is seeping into my every day life.
eventually I will digest it
but for now - it's so strongly in my mind.
like a new religion I've taken up
I'm a bit zealous about it.
There was a time in this country when extremists were fringe people -- off in the distance -- they might be living off in a commune somewhere -- or in a cult
Now that we have the wonders of the Internet -- we are all exposed to so much information
and this information isn't filtered through anyone
I don't have an editor
neither do any of the blogs I read
on either side of the argument.
We're able to say what we want
substantiated or not
We're allowed to call names
We're allowed to be racist
and sexist
and homophobic
all we want
in the past -- extremists might get out a soapbox
and stand on it
and preach to anyone in earshot
who might or might not stop and listen
and might or might not agree
but now -- now we can search not only for the news we want
but in the version we want
You can read about how Komen bowed to the pressure of the religious right who is cut-throat in it's desire to send us back to the dark ages
or
You can read about how the leftist socialist hippie abortionists used political power to bully Komen into backing down from their just decision.
your choice
now you can feed your brain
with ONLY the message you want to hear
you can filter out your facebook friends so you don't have to see
messages you don't agree with
you can feed yourself with FOX if you so choose.
the end result is that we all become much more extreme in our views
because they are continually reflected back at us
Instead of the Internet being a window
it's a mirror
Yes -- I'll be blogging on 2/15
and every day before then
I think our message is simple
and yes
it's biased
it's our opinion
but it's without venom
and I won't call it NEWS.
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