Definitely agree with you when it comes to people who aren’t in the know. I feel like there’s been a progression within our society where more and more people are being “dumbed down” as you say. Granted, even among the wackos there are some good people. I think the biggest problem I see is the constant labeling and categorizing of just about every person, thought, or idea out there. Much of the fear mongering seems to be based on that. Everything has to fit within a certain principle: right-wing, left-wing, Republican, Democrat, conservative, liberal, moderate, etc. I think that’s the reason why I don’t like labeling myself as anything because my thoughts and ideas don’t always fit into one mold. Doesn’t make sense to me.

While the fear tactic might be effective for garnering support from the masses, I feel its long term effect is the “dumbing down” of our population. They rely on emotional argument rather than fact. I watched some YouTube videos recently of the Tea Party march on DC. There were some definite crackpots that were highlighted. I personally think that as a whole, the crackpots were the minority. I think most of the people participating in those protests are good people with valid concerns. When interviewed, they seemed uninformed and to a degree…illiterate. I know some of the people that participated in this event. They are far from illiterate. But unfortunately because of the emotional nature of the topics and the fear tactic used by the media that these concerned citizens rely on for information, most people are truly uneducated/uninformed regarding the topics they are validly concerned about and protesting.

Your blog clearly sets you apart from the classic fear mongering and emotional appeals typically seen. The elder rancher is probably a nice man with valid concerns…but he did nothing to educate me or allow me to have further debates on the topic based on his video. I too looked at the pages he referenced and found none of the material he quoted…which tended to invalidate anything/everything else he said. Clear and concisely referenced resource material is what sets the expert apart from the fear monger. I get the impression from the little I have read on your blog that you are striving to be the former.

Cheers.

As a physician, when I write a journal article or presentation for consideration by my fellow professionals I am expected to include references to each of my sources for each of my points. However you don’t provide this point by point reference/bibliography. As such, your rebuttal to this video series (as well as all your other postings) is the same as the video…nothing more than an opinion/editorial (op ed) piece. You make statements and headers such as “The Truth.” If you want your obviously well thought out and written articles to actually make an impact, try referencing each of your points to your source. Include a bibliography. If you actually have referenced the original bills and other official resources, then your work is already done. Just include those links. It won’t be long and your site will be one of the most visited political blogs on the web, and you’ll probably be getting calls from the media for interviews. If you haven’t actually referenced those resources in your article for your readers to check on, then you should start your op ed pieces with “based on my reading and understanding this is my take on the matter” or something to that “tune.” Otherwise you are doing what so many others are doing in this hotbed of misinformation and misdirection, and you claim to be righteously correcting.

Your blogs, while possibly quite true and well researched, without references to each statement of fact are no more informative than the rants of people like Ann Coulter. If you were to research her rants, you would find there is a thread of truth behind them. She just twists it to suit her political/PR agenda. The reason people listen to her is because of the thread of truth…which is just enough when mingled with her fear mongering to gather a popular audience. Many of her listeners are convinced that she is telling the complete truth because she tends to base her arguments on some tendril of truth. Without that tendril…she would just be a media entertainer. With the thread of truth she’s a political pundit. But like all pundits, it’s difficult to discern the truth from entertainment.

I occasionally leave replies like this one on blogs I find that seem well thought out and written, in the hopes that more referencing will be included in future blog posts. If this referencing is not included, I relegate the articles to more of what you refer to as “the misinformation you take very seriously.” There is really no way to know (without complete referencing) that you’re not just spreading more misinformation.

Cheers…Dr. BPW

Which brings up a good point. I live in Dallas and Parkland hospital has a big problem with illegal immigrants receiving free health care. Personally, I don’t want to live in a country that turns away anyone (illegal or not) from receiving health care when they are hurt or sick. But, at the same time, giving free health care costs a lot of money. Certainly there is an ethical way to handle this problem better.

The Association of Community Organizations for Reform now is under state and federal investigations at this very moment. Other involved institution impacted both Freddie Mac/Freddie Mae and a scheme incorporating underhand minority lending practices. But you might not have heard any of this, from the liberal media about the massive illegal alien mortgage accusations. The whole debacle was the involvement in a corrupt enabling banking industry and ethnic lobbyists, using unethical methods, along with Bush administration to guarantee loans for low income and people that could not possibly afford mortgages. Didn’t Wall Street, the government regulators learn anything from the Savings and loan crisis in the 1980’s?

GOOGLE—Michelle Malkin, she has her own blog and also Google illegal immigrants—mortgages—home loans. Find out about the shady deals which had a massive impact on the 2009 real estate crash. In Addition read how we as citizens and legal residents can demand permanent E-VERIFY. Tell the politicians in Washington at 202-224-3121 It’s about time they worked for the USworking man/woman, instead of paying-off favors to the wealthy business lobbyists? NUMBERSUSA & JUDICIAL WATCH has more answers about corrupt lawmakers and the issues that effects us all. HELP AMERICA SURVIVE. BETTER START COUNTING YOUR PENNIES, BECAUSE IF THE DEM’S PASS ANOTHER AMNESTY–WILL HAVE MILLIONS OF MORE DESTITUTE ILLEGAL ALIENS AND FAMILIES TO SUPPORT!. THE BUSINESSES THAT HIRE THEM WILL NOT!