What do you know?

Before you go on, an article in the May 8 & May 22, 2021 issue of Science News ran with a cover "Awash in Deception: How science can help us avoid being duped by misinformation." In the lead article titled: "The Battle Against Fake News," Alexandra Witze presents five suggestions on how to debunk bad information. They come from the News Literacy Project (see the above link).

How to Debunk:

1. Arm yourself with media literacy skills, at sites such as the News Literacy Project (newslit.org), to better understand how to spot hoax videos and stories.

2. Don't stigmatize people for holding inaccurate beliefs. Show empathy and respect, or you're more likely to alienate your audience than successfully share accurate information.

3. Translate complicated but true ideas into simple messages that are easy to grasp. Videos, graphics and other visual aids can help.

4. When possible, once you provide a factual alternative to the misinformation, explain the underlying fallacies (such as cherry- picking information, a common tactic of climate change deniers.

5. Mobilize when you see misinformation being shared on social media as soon as possible. If you see something, say something.

"Misinformation is any information that is incorrect, whether due to error or fake news.

"Disinformation is deliberately intended to deceive."

"Propaganda is disinformation with a political agenda."

Sander van der Linden
Social Psychologist
University of Cambridge

Source: Science News/May 8, 2021 & May 22, 2021

Update: September 22, 2023: This is more important now than ever. Be vigilant and speak in your own way. Love Wins.

In the spirit of how to debunk misinformation and disinformation, I encourage you to examine The Financial Services Forum, The American Accountability Foundation, The Epoch Times, Fox News, and One America Network(OAN), among others, using the media literacy skills taught by the News Literacy Project from #1 above under "How to Debunk."  Click on the News Literacy Project link to start your work.

This song keeps me grounded and focused in my personal efforts to help “….form a more perfect union …” out of American democracy.

Let me start by trying to answer my own question.

I know that I am not happy with the current state of political discourse in the United States.

I know that race, immigration, issues revolving around the origins of life and the role of women in society each have points that reasonable people can disagree upon.

I know that climate change is real.

I know that the United States has a Constitution to abide by.

I know bullshit when I hear it.

I know my limitations and my strengths.

I know that Americans can disagree without being disagreeable.

I know that authoritarian-run governments don’t like democracy and have infiltrated into the bowels of American institutions of government.

I know that I don’t want to spend one second having my life being ruled from Moscow.

I know that people are inherently good.

I know that good people are capable of doing bad things.

I know that people can change.

I know that Democracy is better than any alternative.

I know that their is plenty of hypocrisy to go around.

I know that the only place for chaos is in nature (entropy).

I know that love will win.

I know who I like and don’t like and why.

I know that he is cute.