Getting it off my (ample) chest
Saturday, June 25, 2011 3 Comments »
I have so many friends with divergent political opinions that I try to remain neutral as far as politics are concerned. Their friendships are far dearer to me than voting history or who grazes on what side of the political fence. The brouhaha over Sarah Palin's supposed Paul Revere gaffe bothered me though, especially when juxtaposed to the news that same week of other politicians behaving lewdly and immorally. Can you spell "media frenzy"?
I'm not a fan of Ms. Palin as a candidate for national office, but for the media to be so quick to ridicule when they don't necessarily have their facts straight is of great concern. The iconic poem, on which their "facts" were based, is a work of embellished history itself. It was never intended to be historically accurate, but rather to raise patriotic spirit and lift an American hero to loftier heights.
I'm not a fan of Ms. Palin as a candidate for national office, but for the media to be so quick to ridicule when they don't necessarily have their facts straight is of great concern. The iconic poem, on which their "facts" were based, is a work of embellished history itself. It was never intended to be historically accurate, but rather to raise patriotic spirit and lift an American hero to loftier heights.
Many news sources corrected the error quietly, however those sources could be considered by some to be lightening rods for liberals or conservatives, depending on which side you personally favor. Perhaps NPR's interview will be the most acceptable to all in setting the record straight.
Was Ms. Palin correct because of her in-depth knowledge of history , was she just lucky, or both? Who knows. But if we are going to make a cause celebre about a specific issue, let's make sure we are on firm factual ground. To do otherwise is to undermine the value of our legitimate issues, no matter what side we're on.
Was Ms. Palin correct because of her in-depth knowledge of history , was she just lucky, or both? Who knows. But if we are going to make a cause celebre about a specific issue, let's make sure we are on firm factual ground. To do otherwise is to undermine the value of our legitimate issues, no matter what side we're on.
My chest is no smaller, but I feel better. Back to quilty things in the next post!
3 comments:
i agree
friends can have different political views
it's better to accept one another not only for the things shared in common
but for the whole person
I too stay away from politics on my blog...but my husband just rants when he is told by the "liberal" media that she was wrong... They apparently don't read their history.. and now I too will come down from the soapbox...small chest and all...
Paul: wisely said.
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