A few weeks ago I received a very inflammatory email from a close friend whose opinions I value greatly. Upon reading his message about a $2 Billion loan being granted to the Brazilian Oil Exploration Company my blood began to boil. I immediately put the information in a pile on my desk intending to write a highly critical commentary within the next few days.
As the days passed due to more pressing matters, the subject of this loan kept coming to mind, and I finally got back to the original material deciding to do some investigation as to its authenticity. BINGO! I am sure glad I resourced FactCheck.com, because the story I had received was factually incorrect. Take a look at the attached link:
http://www.factcheck.org/2009/09/bogus-brazilian-oil-claims/
Being a strong non-supporter of President Barack Obama’s non-transparent administration, I was ready to fire both barrels at him for an apparent misuse of Executive Order power, but fortunately for all concerned I was wrong in that interpretation. There is a valuable lesson here for all of us, and it proves that we are never too old to learn.
The danger of this wonderful communications tool we call the internet is that we are all potential victims of inaccurate data and misinformation that floats around enhancing the concepts of individuals and organizations that espouse their special agenda or interests. Certainly it will go down in history that the internet was a superb source of information, education, and allowed the sharing of knowledge and opinions across geographical boundaries nearly instantaneously. However, great caution must be exerted by the users of the information to assure accuracy or great harm can occur.
It only takes a minute to verify internet claims, and the time is certainly worthwhile, because life is difficult enough without being misled with inaccurate, deceptive, biased information. Both FactCheck.com and Snopes. com are good sites for determining the validity of information. Please be certain to listen to that little bird when he goes off in the back of your mind, because he or she is frequently correct in warning you to question some pronouncements.
If The Glenn Beck Show actually aired what is claimed in my friend’s email, it should be exposed for what it is…biased misinformation.
COMMANDER GRANGER
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