The attack on Paul Pelosi in his home has jarred something in me. Maybe I'm sensitive because I had a head injury that caused enough brain trauma that I took early retirement. I'm pretty much recovered, though I continue with neuro-biofeedback therapy and live with some relatively minor disabilities.
I hit my own head on the corner of a cabinet as I picked up something from the floor. Paul Pelosi was hit on the head by a hammer wielded by a madman who screamed, "Where's Nancy?" That same cry echoed through the U. S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, as other crazies in a violent mob hunted for Paul's wife, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Vice President Mike Pence and other elected officials.
It doesn't take a bump on the head to know something is bad wrong.
It bothers me that more than half of the Republicans running for office today have refused to acknowledge that Joe Biden won the 2020 election. It bothers me that some Republican legislatures claim that they have the right to ignore their state's voters and choose the presidential electors.
There's madness afoot.
The front-page headline in Friday's Democrat-Gazette read: "Misinformation adds to '22 election tension." The article reported how voter intimidation, false conspiracy theories and distrust are afflicting today's election.
Florida Republican Alan Hays said, "Really, misinformation is just a long word for lie ... People don't know who to believe. The confidence of the voters is being grossly undermined by these individuals and these organizations that are out there spreading all these lies."
Social media giants like Twitter, TikTok, Meta/Facebook and Instagram have become infected with contagious lies that the best-managed platforms can't seem to screen. Russia has employed sophisticated means to interfere with U. S. elections for years, and now China and Iran are increasing their efforts. They know an angry, divided U.S. plays into their hands.
We have our own domestic liars like QAnon, Oath Keepers, Proud Boys, Three Percenters. They've found social media and corners of the dark web to be fertile ground for sowing fear, anger and confusion. There are dirty misinformation platforms like Rumble, Gab, Gettr, Parler, and Truth Social. They are literally unbelievable, and troubling.
When you read something troubling, how do you know if it is true?
First, pay attention to your own reaction. Do you feel anger or fear? If so, pause. Breathe. Your limbic system, the primitive reactive part of your brain, is probably in charge. It takes some time and calmness to engage the rational, thinking part of your brain.
Instead of being angry or fearful, be curious. Do a bit of research. Find sources with a track record for truth. Yes, those are usually the more boring sources. But truth is a solid foundation. The truth will make you free.
Wikipedia is remarkably trustworthy; it's free and at your fingertips. Its open-sourced volunteer-driven platform is quick, self-correcting and largely unbiased.
There is a simple, quick four-step tutorial called SIFT -- stop, investigate the source, find better coverage, trace claims/quotes/media to original context. See more at https://bit.ly/3DYye18. The University of Maryland hosts a resource to help you do your own research at https://bit.ly/3E1kAdu.
Factcheck.org, Politifact.org and Washington Post Fact Checker are great for sifting through exaggerations, partial-truths and pants-on-fire lies. I like Snopes.com for those "urban legends" that spread online.
This newspaper is a good source. The Democrat-Gazette is traditional and conservative in its reporting and in its editorial stance. It offers an open forum in the letters to the editor and publishes an array of opinion columns from a wide range of perspectives. Some columns I like; some I don't. That's what a good newspaper does.
I love 91.3 KUAF, our public radio station in Fayetteville, and I trust PBS for nightly news. Public broadcasting works hard to get the facts right. And they don't assault you with annoying or inflammatory political ads.
Friday's newspaper article cited one analyst who summed up today's misinformation this way: "The single galvanizing narrative is that the 2020 election was stolen." That's the Big Lie.
The Big Lie launched the deadly Jan. 6 insurrection mob. The Big Lie continues to motivate today's lies, violence and sheer madness.
The madman who attacked Paul Pelosi was influenced by Big Lie and other far-right political conspiracies. (see Wikipedia, "Attack on Paul Pelosi")
Enough! Stop the lies. Turn your back on them. Be curious and do your homework. Expose misinformation to the light. Refuse to give your vote to anyone who can't stand up to the Big Lie. No more madness!