Reading vs Listening / We Have to Pay Attention!

This is a rare Monday blog entry. I had to stop by and use the only cpu I have available with Internet. I'm going to make a political point but it's one that is true in every area of life. Friends, we must learn to read for ourselves. Just because you hear something doesn't make it true.

Case in point: Sarah Palin was just interviewed by Charlie Gibson of ABC. Charlie and the officials at ABC have just cemented this view for me today. When one listens to the interview you could very well see Palin as weak in some areas or not as informed on others. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) said this week concerning Palin that she gave a "cliff-noted performance". Well, when you consider the editing done by ABC it's easy to figure out why.

http://newsbusters.org/blogs/p-j-gladnick/2008/09/13/abc-news-edited-out-key-parts-sarah-palin-interview

Copy the above link and put it into your address bar - read the parts of the interview that were taken out of the televised portion and come to your own conclusion. Not only does Palin sound more knowledgeable but confident in her answers. The question is: Does ABC want Palin to sound bad? Of course they do!

Folks, this isn't just true when it comes to politics but in everyday life. How often has someone heard a preacher say something from the pulpit and come away saying it was truth without ever reading for themselves. How often has a teacher taught something in a school room without a child researching for themselves? How often do people listen to the "drive-by media" and think that what is being said is true because it was on the news?

Become an educated voter, educated student, educated believer, and an educated citizen. This, of course, means you are going to have to read for yourself. Don't let someone else do all the work for you. Too many people in this world have an agenda that is far different than the one you have. The teachers in our government schools may have an agenda for your kid than what you have. So you must be involved in their lives and ensure that they understand your worldview.

With the race for President heating up in this country I hope that people will begin paying attention to what is being said but more importantly to what is believed by these candidates. It doesn't matter how eloquently one may present the material - you may have to look into their policies for yourself. You may have to look at a budget plan, a policy, or a voting record.

That's the great thing about freedom...you don't have to take everything they say as truth without ever looking into it. The freedoms afforded us by the Constitution of this United States allow us to ask questions and look at facts for ourselves. We are only robbing ourselves if we do not.

Have a great week!