Ignorant, Education Deficient, or Just Plain Lazy?

 
 

The conversation following a posting on FaceBook; a link to an article posted on WesternJournalism.com called “In 2014, The Obama Dictatorship Will Be Complete”.

(Un-named facebook poster#1)  OH LOL ! More conspiracy horseshit huh ? The next article I expect to see is how Obama is the anti-christ…..that will be a hoot ! ….but in all seriousness, this website is called ”western journalism”…..sorry, i don’t see any ”journalism” here……how about ”western conspiracy theories” or ”chicken little the sky is falling”……..just about had it with the nonsense people. you are telling me that you read an article entitled ”in 2014 the Obama dictatorship will be complete” and not realize at the least there is a political agenda here, …..more fairly this is just TRASH, RUBBISH…….The facts are spun, things are out of context……the usual…..people, use your brains please…I promise you e will all live to see tomorrow, the next week, month, year, decade. Political scare tactics and nonsense. sorry, no offense personally (Un-Named facebook poster#2)

The following reply was posted by RLC:  (Un-named facebook poster#1), first of all, here is the definition of the word you questioned as copied from Dictionary.com:

jour·nal·ism [jur-nl-iz-uhm] Show IPA noun
1.  the occupation of reporting, writing, editing, photographing, or broadcasting news or of conducting any news organization as a business.
2.  press1 ( def 31 ) .
3.  a course of study preparing students for careers in reporting, writing, and editing for newspapers and magazines.
4.  writing that reflects superficial thought and research, a popular slant, and hurried composition, conceived of as exemplifying topical newspaper or popular magazine writing as distinguished from scholarly writing: He calls himself a historian, but his books are mere journalism.

“Now as I read the article it seems to fit the definition of “journalism” quite well.  It is journalism, especially if you take the fourth definition.  It seems that the “news” media takes this fourth meaning to heart as what I read in the news, and see on the several news programs I view is reported, for the most part is “hurried composition” reflecting “superficial thought and research” to satisfy the “popular slant”.  Sadly, if you follow the “popular slant” of wanting something for nothing, unearned entitlement, and searching for a free ride, you will find the majority of the populous standing in line with their hand out to whatever political power seeker offers the greatest amount of free cookies and circuses.  This lazy majority is exactly the people that will give away the freedom and liberty we have enjoyed for over 200 years for a government welfare check and a seemingly free trip to the hospital.  It is just possible that someone who might attack an article with phrases like “conspiracy horseshit”, or emotionally charged statements like “Obama is the anti-christ”, might do well to partake of some thought and research before spewing unsubstantiated opinion.  Try doing a little research.  Obtain some facts before talking of spun facts, and political agenda.  Show me some reliable sources before shouting “TRASH or RUBBISH”.  In other words look up the word you intend to attack, cite your references, and stop spinning your own agenda.  Cut the strings puppet.  Get the facts then tell us how it really is.”

Now, I am not new to arguments, I have no problem voicing my opinion, and I rarely, if ever, back down from confrontation.  I am however new to higher education.  Way back in the olden times, when I attended high school, education was something “those people” tried to cram down my throat while I concentrated on social events, playing guitar, and stealing kisses from cute girls.  My memory of this education is as such; music and art were enjoyable endeavors, foreign language (German) was either fun, or torture depending on the teacher, math classes were like solving puzzles and I like solving puzzles, and English class was a complete waste of time as I learned to speak it at home, and that’s all I needed.

Then I started college (a few years later I might add).  College, what do they know?  You have to take classes like algebra, and English composition so you can work on diesel boat engines.  This makes as much sense as making dogs wear shoes, and that does happen, look on facebook.  But wishing to be a good student, I enrolled in these classes.  Based on my ancient memories of school, I expected that I would do okay in algebra, and would struggle through the composition part.  To my surprise, I did well.  I learned, am still learning, and intend to keep learning.  Education isn’t a bad thing, although, it might be wasted on some.  Successful education is greatly reliant on the student actively seeking; not just the teacher proficiently supplying.

It somehow always annoyed me when I heard those who make their way in the world through the use of language; writers, radio personalities, lawyers, news reporters/anchors… displaying a lack of talent in the use of their tools.  For crying out loud!  I’m just a stupid construction worker, and I can hear the gaffs.  Add to this, the relatively new modification to the language; text speak, LOL, OMG, WTF, LOTFLMFFAO, DILLIGAF, or just the laziness of “u” rather than you.  When I indicated my opinion about this display of laziness on the open format available to me, some of my “friends” old enough to know better, told me that I needed to embrace the evolution of the language and “get with the times”.  To this I say, if getting with the times means dumbing down my thought processes, and modifying my phrases so that those too lazy to make an effort to at least appear in some way slightly educated I’ll go back to the times of Rooster Cogburn, Ranger Leboeuf, and Maddie Ross, for even drunken gunfighters and 14 year old girls wanted to display education and vocabulary then.  The spoken/written word is going the way of the video store and the phone booth.

So I meandered into a college class, came out with an awakened appreciation for communication, and a taste for writing.  With this I also discovered a more sensitive ear/eye for the offenses committed and distaste for this lack of respect.

If you have an opinion; political, philosophical, social, music, sports, personal, economic, or any other direction your passionate heart carries you, try to at least appear educated.  Look up the meaning of the word you wish to attack, if in some way, the definition of the word is pertinent to your argument.  Investigate at least one fact, and state it with authority and citation.  Then if it is your intention to mislead, fabricate your story to your best fiction.  But be forewarned, if your cause strikes a discordant tone to me, I’ll do my research, and I will challenge you.