Information Junkie

Ok, I'll admit it - I'm a junkie. The nature of my job as a librarian permits me to explore far and wide. I rarely get my information from a newspaper or from the networks, because, honestly, I don't trust their motives any more. We are at a dangerous precipice in our country, on the brink of disaster on so many fronts, and our news media has completely dropped the ball. The Bush administration has played the media beautifully - allowing them unprecidented access as long as the stories fall in line with the official agenda. Makes me sick, really. No wonder 90% of our enlisted troops still think they are fighting in Iraq to avenge Saddam's role in 9/11. (NOTE TO THE CLUELESS: HE HAD NO ROLE IN 9/11, and no matter how many ways Cheney and Rummy try to spin it, it still isn't true. Assholes.)

Americans are getting dumber. Me included, probably. I see it everyday on the job. Today we had a question asking about immigration laws that affected Native Americans. What does this mean?!?!? Hello? They are NATIVE AMERICANS - they didn't immigrate from anywhere.
People let their small children roam freely and then get defensive when you say you were about to call the police to report an abandoned child (I've seen a two year old wander up the stairs, out the front door and make it 50 yards out into traffic...) Now, I know those little kids can move fast, but geez - I'd freak out if my kid weren't within eyesight. Are they not aware of how many pretty little girls and boys go missing from public places?

Don't be a dumb American. Educate yourself. Use your local library. Question everything you see and hear. Be curious. Verify for yourself from alternative news sources. One neat trick I've learned is that it is always "opposite day" - whatever rhetoric is spewing forth from this administration, apply the opposite paradigm. Need an example? " Mission Accomplished" means "Mission Failed". "We had no idea that terrorists would fly airplanes into buildings" means "we had warning and we did nothing to stop the attacks". And "We had no idea that that the levy would fail" means "we had ample forwarning and decided to go on vacation instead" Try it sometime....it would be fun if it weren't so g'damn sad.

I've posted links to some of my favorite sources of information over to the side here. Some of it borders on conspiracy theory, some of it is totally mainstream. Think for yourself, question authority, and contact your representatives in Congress. Someone has to speak up. Why not you?