In an editorial in the May 15th edition of the Burleson Star it's pointed out that this year's local elections in Burleson, TX were particularly heated and that much of the debate transpired on "social networking" sites. To be specific, it was Facebook. Dan-O Strong, Burleson Chamber of Commerce President, is quoted in the May 6th Burleson Star saying "Facebook has taken us in a whole other direction. It has become a large distraction." I agree that Facebook has taken many things in a whole other direction, but as for it being a distraction that is debatable. For individuals, distractions can be anything that one lets into their lives where they lack discipline. For the general discourse of ideas it is anything but a distraction. It is a valid medium of communication. One could argue that email is a distraction too or the telephone and texting, newspapers, letters, stone tablets and cave drawings, but every one of them share a common purpose - communication and the conveyance of ideas.
During this election cycle it would be hard to argue that Facebook was any more an issue than direct mail pieces or emails. One has far greater control over the information they receive via Facebook than they do what hits their email inbox and certainly their post box where you're at the mercy of anyone who wants to send you something. You can't "de-friend" junk mail and political ramblings from showing up in your mailbox and you can't block certain people from appearing in your newspaper with letters to the editor so if those far more common mediums are acceptable then I think Facebook is too. Facebook actually expands the voice of the everyday person. Newspaper ads, direct mail and robo-calls are all relatively expensive methods for asserting statements about a candidate, but Facebook is free and available to almost anyone to express themselves. Our constitution affords us the right to say pretty much anything we want and we could stand on the street corner and say it to passersby if we wanted to so saying it on Facebook is just fine with me. We have laws to protect us from slander and libel, but if something is said that's true, but hurts someone else then, well...the truth hurts sometimes. I think the bigger lesson here is always do what's right or be willing to accept the consequences. Your associations, actions and words may come back to haunt you.
A.J.
Good for you, AJ. I too was annoyed by that Editorial. I tried to talk to him about issues and he shut me down. He cut off public discourse about the election 2 weeks before the election. Why. Ft Eorth allowed it up to the eke tion. He's just mad that he didnt get a piece if it. I don't know who he was listening to that felt the brunt of Facebook, but I suspect. It was Pool's sensitively.
ReplyDeleteI offered him the info s out Pool and he refused it. In fact he was down right rude about it. I guess he was referring to the facts that have been put out about Silver star. However no one I know called Pooll a "monkey" as Pool's supports did about the Mayor. Then there just out snd out lies such as the Tea Party PAC email. Good for you AJ!