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Musings From A Moderate

You wouldn't like me when I'm angry.

By Paul MasonPublished 7 years ago 3 min read
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So I am a bit of an American news junkie. I don't subscribe to any of the major cable news networks, but I try to stay current largely through my Facebook groups. I do belong to a few news feeds from both sides of the political spectrum.

The past couple of weeks in particular, it seems like there is just so much outrage ravaging my FB page. This is not new, I am aware that ever since social media platforms such as Facebook exploded onto the scene people have used it as a forum to vent their political viewpoints. But I noticed two stories in particular that recently erupted and apparently made users lose their minds.

One involved Kathy Griffin. If you have been online last week you probably know about her publicity stunt gone awry and the outrage expressed on both sides of the left and right political aisles. Holding a severed head of the POTUS was in poor taste, and it could be argued that she crossed a line, so perhaps it was righteous outrage that was expressed. It is not for me to say in the long run, especially after seeing multiple outlets on Facebook cover this story, and all the posts with literally hundreds if not thousands of comments by users, the majority of which condemning her actions. It seems the nation has moved on, and Facebook's most trending articles are now mostly ones covering the tragedies that seem to occur daily these past few weeks.

But earlier this week, my feed was bombed with another story that seemed to spark public outcry. Megyn Kelly is going to interview conspiracy theorist Alex Jones on her show Sunday, oh no!

Again, this story sparked anger on Facebook and even resulted in advertisers withdrawing from the coverage and Ms. Kelly losing her Sandy Hook hosting duties. Frankly, the anger at this is what's more puzzling to me. I can see an extent of outrage from the families of the Sandy Hook massacre, but the comments from the general populace seem so extreme.

I am Canadian, not American, but we, too, have free speech. The States not only pride themselves on free speech, but have it guaranteed by the Constitution. And yet, the same Americans who enjoy that promise of free speech are using it to express anger about a journalist using that right to interview a controversial figure.

So what is the point of this article? I am not trying to claim to be insightful or educated enough to have a solution. I am not a doctor that can prescribe Valium for a nation. But I can suggest that people get their news from more than one source. If you watch CNN and base your opinions from that or MSNBC, maybe watch the same coverage from Fox. Better yet, perhaps read some "alternative, independent" media. Perhaps if a story pisses you off, take a breath and think about your reaction. Realize that everyone is entitled to their opinion; they may not be right (unless they agree with me) but they are entitled to hold it. And lastly, know that name calling and cursing doesn't make you smart or in-the-know and is no way to win a debate.

Basically, take a step back and think about whether what is upsetting you so much is really that important in the long run.

Thank you for reading this.

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