by Rob Clark

Created on: May 21, 2007   Last Updated: January 08, 2008

I am tired of hearing people, poisoning me with their corrosive rhetoric quoting the media as fact rather than what it truly is, an opinion. It is evident with so much technology, if any thing, we should be a more intelligent, moral and well-informed society. Although I feel I should feel more "enlightened" with so many resources readily available at the click of a mouse or the flip of a switch, I find myself more confused than ever. There are so many various interpretations that one must be careful when inviting foreign ideas into the home. School, as our primary form of education, has taught us to "think for ourselves" and to become who ever we want to be. Ultimately however, most students develop into the product of education through countless years of conditioning, learning and imposed opinions shared by teachers; they are the future of America.

The problem/advantage of so much information is that it is often confused as fact rather than stipulation. It is not uncommon for the media to portray certain issues as something it is not, instilling fear and cleverly advancing the individual's or corporation's hidden agenda. As I have attempted to develop my personal opinions and become more involved in social issues and politics, I have found it is difficult to avoid tainted sources or one-sided coverage. Ultimately political beliefs are based on personal integrity, beliefs and who has the most persuasive argument.

Thus, we see a great divide in the country. Many say the country is in Iraq for oil and that Bush has lied to us. Others say that we are promoting Democracy and that we are making significant changes there. So my friends I ask you, who are we to believe? The answer is based on what we want to believe, where we morally stand and who we truly are. That is how most people become, as stated by many politicians, "blinded". Those that are "blinded" develop their opinions based on their respective interpretations of fact. The problem is that fact is very difficult to distinguish from opinion. Much trust is required to watch the news. We allow those newscasters to enter our houses let alone our minds, and therefore we must meticulously filter what is shared. Ironically when such ideas are rejected or questioned, the person is labeled as blinded or close-minded, only because they thought for themselves.

As we all hear quite often, this country promotes freedom of religion, beliefs and namely speech. This however does not permit large conglomerates to manipulate, misinform and instill fear to promote political agendas.

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