Letters to the editor | Sunday, June 20, 2021: On the dangers of misinformation
The dangers of misinformation
“It does not require a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority to set brush fires in people’s minds.” Samuel Adams wrote that back when Americans, due to unjust taxes and lack of representation, dared to contemplate rebellion against British rule. They took the time to think it through, and time was on their side. Mail, political broadsides and newspapers traveled slowly, and overseas communications could take months to arrive.
Not so today. Deliberate misinformation and slick disinformation are delivered at cyber-speed, to the detriment of our nation. While newspapers and reputable TV news services check their facts, social media is free to invent fictions nonstop.
“Bill Gates has implanted a tracking microchip in every vaccine, and I’m now magnetic.” “Jewish space lasers are causing global warming.” “Bigfoot raided my refrigerator, trashed my bathroom and used my guest towels.”
This craziness and outright lying is disseminated on the web 24/7. Misuse of info has taken us back to the dark ages. Stop the steal? You might just as well say “burn the witch” — unless you have a balanced, discerning mind.
Take a deep breath. Know your shellac from your shinola. What we need is a spark of intelligence, not to ignite, but to enlighten.
Cheryl Wolford, Oakdale
Usual suspects v. regular people
Re Real reform for Modesto police and Stanislaus sheriff, or going through motions? (June 13, 2021): Thank you, Garth Stapley, for pointing out the positive work by the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department (Project Resolve) and city of Modesto (Forward Together) pulling together a group that will meet, discuss and create positive changes regarding challenges facing today’s law enforcement agencies. I applaud both for committee appointments and setting goals. I believe improvements will happen as those folks appointed to both committees — what Sheriff Dirkse referred to as “the usual suspects” — possess knowledge in their area of expertise.
This is where the flaw begins. I share Mr. Stapley’s concern regarding the lack of “regular people” sitting on these committees.
The US (usual suspects) have known each other for years, know the ins and outs of county and city governance, law enforcement and community groups. This is well and good, but without RP (regular people) , the US are robbing themselves of potential excellent and thorough ideas. RP can have rational, logical discussions. RP can make recommendations. RP also own knowledge and expertise. Maybe not in law enforcement, as an elected official or a community leader but certainly in life. And without the RP as part of the process, almost a half-million Stanislaus residents are not represented.
Monica Della Maggiore, Patterson
Adjust Turlock’s water rules
The city of Turlock will impose fines if we go over a certain amount of water every month or if our sprinklers water the cement or water is used in excess on non-watering days. I don’t feel the penalty is exactly fair.
We have six children in our home which definitely means more laundry, more showers, baths and so on. We also have a back yard with a large vegetable garden and fruit trees. We’ve been fined at least two or three times the past two years for excessive water usage when really it’s not excessive for us at all.
Earlier this week I saw the sprinklers at Donnelly Park. The sprinklers were wetting a large amount of sidewalk and into the street on Hawkeye. The city can do this but we get fined.
Lead by example! They should survey each home to find out how many people are in a household before they impose a fine for over water usage.
Andrea Requena, Turlock
This is what’s wrong with schools
Re “Early college lifts high school students, including those at risk” (Page 6A, May 13): The column talked about dual-enrollment programs, specifically in Stanislaus County schools, however they are popping up everywhere. Students can earn college credits while still in high school, thus upon entering college less credits are needed to graduate. Let’s call it what it is: public-paid college. Instead of canceling student loan debt, we’ll just incorporate college into public school, funded by taxpayers. The June 3 Bee also had an opinion piece praising charter schools, the nemesis of public schools.
When my child attended public high school, they took all college prep classes. Their senior year, 1991, with a new principal in charge, one college prep teacher slept through most classes; they learned nothing, but managed to ace the class. The principal, superintendent, or school board could not be bothered — just herd them through, pass them along. That’s why we have graduates who can’t read, compose sentences, punctuate, or spell beyond a fourth grade level, but now we’re going to put them through college?
Just try doing the job at hand correctly before adding more burden on the taxpayers.
Grace Joyce, Escalon
Newsom lacks money sense
How can Governor Newsom claim we are in a constant state of emergency, be it COVID or fires or drought or whatever else comes to his mind, and at the same time star in a game show giving away thousands of dollars to some, millions of dollars to a few people, basically buying votes? He can’t seem to make sense with money. My vote is for Caitlyn Jenner in the recall. She has to care more about California than Newsom.
Jeffrey S. Diehl, Modesto
GOP needs to be honest
The GOP need to quit beating around the bush — they need to admit they want a white America. Their actions the last six years prove that.
“We the people” was written by one people, for one people, and the current GOP is proof of that.
Jake Moon, Ceres
Satire on GOP illusions
Fabulist Publishing Company has just released A Guide for Republican Dummies; Embracing Trump’s Big Lie. The 88-page booklet reveals how the socialist Antifa-backed liberal media stole the election from Trump.
Stacks of discarded invoices reveal how invisible ink produced in Venezuela was secretly installed in foreign-made voting machines, making it surprisingly easy for Democrats to switch 7 million Trump votes to Biden. Evidence reveals that the 60 so-called federal judges who tossed out all of Trump’s appeals never existed. The various recounts in states narrowly won by Biden were nothing more than expensive smoke and mirror tricks performed by ex-left-wing CIA operatives. Actual recounts never took place. Video evidence secretly supplied by independent Russian hackers show the Supreme Court judges being forced by hired goons to toss fact-filled, provable, Trump election appeals into various trash cans and torched.
Fabulist Publishing issued a statement saying that 2 million copies of the Trump Big Lie manifesto have already been purchased by Loyal Republican Dummies for Trump.
An incredibly happy result: Trump + Big Lie + Republican Dummies = RIP Democracy.
Brooks Judd, Turlock
Support Modesto book event
Like all community nonprofits, Friends of the Modesto Library was severely hampered in its fundraising efforts by COVID-19. But we’re back now!
The annual Used Book Sale, our biggest event, returns Saturday, June 26, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. under the Modesto Library portico, 1500 I St. You’ll find books in excellent condition organized by category. Prices are paperback-$1, hardcover-$2 and children’s books-two for $1. Proceeds benefit the Modesto Library and its customers.
Maree Hawkins, Modesto