Wake up to the Internet lies

Shout, shout, let it all out, these are the things I can do without. – Tears for Fears

Written by Roland Orzabel and Ian Stanley in 1984, Shout is an encouragement to political protest. It encourages people not to simply accept things without questioning them. Now, a quarter of a century later, is anyone taking this advice?

The Internet can be a great source of information, but it’s also a cesspool of nonsense, slander and ignorance. And, for some reason, good people allow themselves to sink into this quagmire without questioning the legitimacy of what they have embraced.

You’ll see it in some of the e-mails they forward to you. E-mails that make some kind of outrageous statement you know can’t possibly be true, even though whoever wrote the original tripe claims it’s all been verified. Often all it takes is a quick check at Snopes.com or another myth-busting site to discover the truth behind the crap. But today, 25 years after Tears for Fears urged us ‘let it all out’, people seem all to willing to swallow slop spewed out by anyone seeking to share their warped sense of reality or to commit character assassination.

That’s one of “the things I can do without.”

A frequent target of the vitriol has been U.S. President Barack Obama. I guess when you’re trying to bring a positive perspective to the ugly game of politics there will be those who will do anything to fight the change.

Last night I had a brief conversation with some folks I’ve known for quite a few years. And they are terrific people. They asked if I’d heard that Obama had cancelled the National Day of Prayer in the U.S., but had endorsed a national event for Muslims.

Okay, then. Where to start?

Of course Obama did not cancel the National Day of Prayer, although he probably should. There is supposed to be a separation of state and church that helps keep the U.S. from becoming a theocracy and allows absolute freedom of or from religion. But there isn’t room to get into depth about that here.

Obama simply did not host an ecumenical service in the White House, as Bush had before him. Instead, he continued a tradition of issuing a presidential proclamation designating the National Day of Prayer and observed the occasion privately. In fact, Obama was actually the defendant in a suit brought by the Freedom from Religion Foundation that held the National Day of Prayer is unconstitutional. The Obama administration was arguing in favour of retaining the day.

And by the way, a federal judge ruled in favor of the challenge, saying the National Day of Prayer actually is unconstitutional. So, it’s not Obama working to prevent the event, it’s a group of concerned people who see religion starting to take on a role in U.S. politics it was never supposed to adopt.

As to Obama’s support of a special day for Muslims . . .nope, it’s just part of the lie. Remember back before the election? Opponents were trying to scare American voters with claims of Obama being a Muslim and not a Christian. The scare tactics continue. There is even a photo claiming to show Obama at an Islamic Prayer Day session in the White House. Info spread with the photo claims that Obama is an insult to the founding fathers in the U.S.

It’s also interesting to note that among the founding fathers are some prominent figures who were anti-clerical, or vocal about their opposition to organized religion. This included Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin. Hardly lightweights in U.S. history. Several others considered themselves deists. That’s not something that squares with the beliefs of many of Obama’s critics. But I guess if actual history doesn’t support their stand, they can choose to ignore it.

Of course, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” – George Santayana.

The photo actually shows Obama visiting the Blue Mosque in Istanbul while on an official visit. He was observing protocol as a visitor. What’s insulting to the found fathers is the campaign of lies spread by those who are still fighting the last election and trying to defame Barack Obama. I don’t imagine they’d be too impressed by the willingness of the American public to simply accept without question the nonsense directed their way.

Maybe it’s time more people stood up and said, “these are the things I can do without.”