One of the things that bothers me in the current political climate is the tendency to attack people rather than to debate issues. For instance, one of the tenants of the left over the past eight years is that George Bush is stupid. There is no actual basis for this attack--the man has a stellar education and the ability to fly fighter planes. I don't think someone who is stupid could accomplish either one of those things--yet that is what we hear. This issues are not discussed--and it's interesting that based on his appointments, Barack Obama may continue some of the policies of the 'stupid' George Bush.
I watched two videos on the internet today which illustrate the way that opinion can be swayed without actual facts or issues (or with false information). The first video was put together by some Hollywood types to mock those who supported Proposition 8 in California. Jack Black plays Jesus Christ, and the video is essentially a mocking of those who support traditional marriage due to religious beliefs. The fact that same-sex couples in California already have the same rights as married couples through civil union laws is not discussed. The battle is about the name, and that is never mentioned--instead the video is just a mockery of religion.
The second video is found at Road 90. It was put together by PBS and WGBH to chronicle to birth of the state of Israel and the events surrounding it. This video deals with Deir Yassin and the myths surrounding the 'massacre' there. According to the article--
"Following in the footsteps of Palestinian historians such as Walid Khalidi of Harvard University and Shairf Kana'ana of Bir Zeit University in Ramallah, West Bank, they show that the massacre of Deir Yasin in 1948 was exaggerated by the Arab side. Rather than encourage resistance, this precipitated the flight of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians into neighbouring Arab countries.
As a result of this propaganda, Arab civilians panicked and fled by the tens of thousands. This was confirmed in the PBS documentary called The Fifty Years of War in which Deir Yassin survivors were interviewed"
This massacre has been used to stir up hatred for Israel since 1948. It is an example of how an exaggerated reporting of an incident can be used to incite violence for generations. It is the responsibility of all voting citizens in this country (and every other country in the world) to be aware of manipulation by political forces and do their own research.
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