January 10, 2018

Fetch and Retrieve

By Tammy Derouin

Today's world is full of instant information. Type a question into the search bar and you are given pages of sources to find your answer. You can also verbally ask a question and the computer will verbally respond. What was once a science fiction dream has become reality. We've adapted rather quickly to having questions answered, on the spot, with so little effort being required.

Having instant answers is convenient but there's also a downside. The process of learning how to search for answers is sometimes lost. I remember going to the library and spending Saturday afternoons, in addition to time spent in the school library during the week, looking for information for research papers and other assignments. It would have been much more convenient to sit at home and look things up on a computer. However, the search was in many ways part of the lesson. It took time and patience to get answers.

There was also an understanding that the sources were truthful. Credibility was once a high standard in the world of news and information. Periodicals such as news magazines and newspapers are a common source of information for research papers. Opinions may differ, which was also the purpose of some research papers, but there was a certain trust that the sources would have the correct facts.

I read an interesting article this past week on the history of fake news and how it has always been part of human history. Fake news or propaganda, is used to sway or deceive a population to furthering an agenda. Today's high tech version of fetch and retrieve is very convenient. But, are the sources credible? Do they believe in being impartial and presenting the truth or do they favor a political agenda and therefore spin, re-create or completely disregard the truth? Another concern is the actual search engine. Has it become politicized? What do their retrieved answers reveal, the real truth or their version of what they want you to believe? If a search engine or a social media platform can restrict information, what is their ultimate motive? No good comes from limiting information. Those who wish to control do not want the truth to be known.

This is why it is so important to not limit information. Do we really want to have some unknown entity decide what is acceptable news? And although most news networks are just arms of a Left-wing political agenda, do we want to turn into a one nation news network? Do we want others to do our thinking for us and determine what we should think, speak and feel? Censorship is very harmful because it hides the truth to further an agenda. The truth is out there and it can be found. It just takes effort. Blindly trusting today's news and information sources is unwise. To what extent will individuals or entities be willing to bury, ignored or re-write the truth to further a political agenda?

The quest for truth and justice can be a long and winding road and it also takes a lot of patience. Sometimes, the longer it takes to expose the truth becomes additional proof to the extent that some will go to cover it up. If an agenda is so great, why all the deceit? Why go through so much to cover up the facts if what they are peddling is so great?

Late last week, it was revealed by several media sources that Hillary Clinton may be facing further investigation this coming year. The investigation could include the Clinton Foundation with the possibility of pay-to-play politics while she was Secretary of State as well as her use of a private email server, which has put a dark shadow over the FBI for its credibility, the Uranium One deal with many alleged and highly questionable acts, to the Obama administration ending a massive investigation into Hezbollah, which could also involve Clinton as she was Secretary of State during part of the Obama administration.

At one time we had a free press, one that wanted to uncover the truth. There are still many out there but with so many optioning to become political puppets, the truth gets buried and ignored. How deep could so much questionable activity been buried had Hillary won the election? Searching for the truth takes time and effort. Trusting sources as well as search engines has become increasingly challenging. When news and information gets skewed with a political agenda it becomes dangerous for everyone and our future. Censorship is used to control.

“If the freedom of speech is taken away then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter.”

George Washington