Hello, dear readers. So, this is David, coming out of the closet to speak to you directly.
For the past six months or so, I’ve been your opinions editor, but this here is my last editorial for a while. I’ll be exploring some other shenanigans. Actually, the National Security Agency got ahold of my writing and is threatening to hurt my family if I don’t stop. Send help. Everything you know is a lie. Just kidding… or maybe that’s what they want you to think.
Anyway, politics. That’s a thing. With me stepping down, I expect you frequent readers (hi, Mom and Dad) will want some age-old wisdom, the sacred pearls of knowledge passed from opinions editor to opinions editor since the dawn of time. Or not.
I wouldn’t call it wisdom. The only real difference between you and me is that you’re allowed to walk away from news; I get to write about it every day. And you tend to see the same nonsense again and again when you’re tied to the news cycle.
Do any of you like the Red Hot Chili Peppers? I do. (I know that seemed completely random, but just wait. It’ll make sense.) Some of you may know the band got its new guitarist, Josh Klinghoffer, around 2009 and later came out with the album “I’m With You.” Everyone and their mothers will tell you how much better the group’s former guitarist, John Frusciante, was, but keep in mind the only thing haters love more than hating is hopping on bandwagons.
I could go on forever about the Chili Peppers, but what matters for us right now is this: Some of the greatest music from the “I’m With You” era wasn’t even showcased on the album. Instead, many of the real gems were buried in the later-released B-side album, “I’m Beside You.” Get it? B-side. Beside.
Take this as a lesson, dear readers. Don’t settle for what’s presented to you and judge everything and assume you know it all (“I’m With You”). Humble yourself; dig deeper (“I’m Beside You”). There’s always more going on behind the scenes than what you can account for.
If all you did was watch the world through your toilet paper roll of choice, be it Fox News Channel, CNN, MSNBC, etc., you’d think the 2016 election and Donald Trump’s empty podium right before a “major” speech were the only things that ever mattered this year.
The same way whoever the hell managed and produced “I’m With You” obscured the reality of Josh Klinghoffer in the Chili Peppers, the current big media outlets have obscured and even falsely presented the political reality.
It’s not like bias is inherently evil. This entire piece is full of it: I think a lot of big media do people a disservice by withholding important stories and prioritizing sensationalism. Therefore, I want people to hunger for more accurate, transparent and in-depth news. Boom. That’s my agenda. Sue me. (Don’t actually do that; I have no money.)
And don’t get me wrong: I’m not saying these news outlets are illegitimate. I will say, however, they willfully misinform and misguide the public. And the ones who lose in the end are you and me.
So, what should you do? Never settle for what’s given to you. Read as many sources as you can, seek out independent media like The Intercept, Democracy Now! and The Young Turks, look to satire (John Oliver is king), and listen to what others have to say.
Stay hungry. Never be complacent with what you think you know.
I leave you with this Jon Stewart quote: “The best defense against bullshit is vigilance. So if you smell something, say something.”
