H.O.P.E.

https://newslit.org/

Before you go on, an article in the May 8 & May 22 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

It’s been awhile since I last posted anything. For some of you, that’s probably a relief. Others might actually have missed my musings. Whichever one of those you are, I’m baaack.

The last six weeks of Spring were busy. I worked as a substitute teacher at Cabrillo, my former school of 20 years . Most of the 35 days that I worked during the 2021-22. school year were between February and May. I had a two week gig working with the Band and Orchestra kids getting ready for their Spring Concert. That was particularly fun as I got to be on the other side of the waving baton.

My volunteer work at the Unitarian Church also picked up. Virtual recording for the choir and in person small group singing in the Sanctuary occupied many hours as well as serving on the Interim Minister Search Committee and working on the Tech Team that is responsible for making worship and special event services accessible via Zoom.

So, time for writing has been at a premium. There is so much to say, but I’m going to ease my way back into it. Here are a few topics that I have jotted in my notebook for possible future posts:

1.  Jesus Toppling Merchants Tables on the Temple Mount
2.  Conflict/Trauma and the Interim Minister Search Process
3.  Teaching a lesson on Penguin and Whale Identification in a 2nd Grade 
    classroom days after the Uvalde school massacre.
4.  Why all the unnecessary human caused chaos? (Climate Change, COVID, 
    Race, gun violence)
5.  Smoke and Mirrors:  How Fascists, Fossil Fuel Companies, Racists and Religious 
    Extremists are using disinformation to destroy Democracy
6.  H.O.P.E.:  Which of these versions would you choose?
    
   a.  Hopelessness, Oppression, Pessimism, Enmity 

                         OR

   b.  Happiness, Opportunity, Pride, Enthusiasm

7.  Gun Violence and the lack of resolve to act on it

I’m very concerned about the upcoming mid-term elections in November. If history is followed and the party in the White House gets bounced out in the Congress, we as a nation are in deep shit. The chances of 6a. above becoming the reality is a very real possibility.

My feeling, that has only strengthened since the emergence of the puppet Trump, is that this is the right wing’s last gasp to maintain its old world order. Rich, White and powered by fossil fuel.

Stay tuned as I continue to shine a light into the darkness.