Now that everyone is rejecting fake news whether or not it is real, why are we still so obsessed with words that mean even less? Whether we are talking about inappropriate remarks at a Hollywood awards show or Trump’s latest Twittering, Americans hang on the words of prominent people as if they mean something. Sometimes they do. Most often, they don’t. Who do celebrity words … [Read more...] about Words are Not News, So Why Are We So Obsessed?
Current Events
Not too long ago current events in the news consisted of two words: impeachment and Ukraine.
How quickly things change. Now there are still only two words in the news. They both start with a "c." They refer to a pandemic disease instead of a Washington scandal, but they are still all about politics.
Current events drive politics. The reverse is also true. This is sadly apparent now as tackling a public health crisis takes second place to leveraging political opportunity from Americans deaths and a historic economic upheaval that put the world's greatest economy on hold. This is a textbook case of turning a piece of history into a political saleable commodity.
When we want to know the facts behind current events there is truth to be had. The problem is that the truth is seldom as entertaining, or in this case distressing as the fake news and distorted rhetoric fed to the public by politicians and media outlets with ulterior motives that have nothing to do with providing reliable information.
Whenever possible posts in Civil Candor’s current events category rely on information from reputable government agencies to drill down to the truth behind what we read in the news. Failing that, it’s always good to know what voices in the House and Senate have to say and what they intend to do because that’s where the policies that shape our response to current events comes from. The information to put historical events in perspective is always out there. The hard part is finding it.
Families Don’t Need Zika Crisis Congress is Selling
American families know what they need to worry about. Zika is not on the list. What families don’t need is to be faced with a public health emergency that is just a cleverly disguised political crisis. Families don’t need Capitol Hill’s Zika threat Congress is selling Zika to the public for reasons that don’t have a lot to do with protecting our health. That doesn’t mean … [Read more...] about Families Don’t Need Zika Crisis Congress is Selling
Bad Things in the News to Watch Out for This Summer
Whether you spend your summer lounging by the pool or battling mosquitoes in the woods, life in the real world goes on. Not everything that happens during the hot months is fun or relaxing. There are plenty of bad things in the news that happen while we are out having fun. Politics tops the list. Just because Congress escapes Washington during the hottest time of the year … [Read more...] about Bad Things in the News to Watch Out for This Summer