Breaking News and Witch Hunts

Extra! Extra! Read All About It!

Remember the old movies where the paper boy was standing in the intersection or on the sidewalk with a stack of newspapers next to him, waving one that clearly said (in 80 typeface or larger) "Extra, Extra"? It's beginning to feel like that here in the US with explosions and I'm not really happy about it.

This picture is so amazing. It looks like a fiery wasteland.

I awakened at my usual 3:15 am and turned on the news as I always do. The news was full of an explosion that occurred in a fertilizer plant in a town near Waco, Texas. The scene looked like a volcanic lava flow - orange-red spread across a large area. Apparently there had been a fire at the fertilizer plant which then caught a concentration of fertilizer within the plant causing a massive explosion. This explosion destroyed the plant, and also homes and businesses in the area. There are no estimates on deaths or injuries yet, but these are burn injuries - the worst injury to have. Just nasty! My thoughts go out to those people affected by this.

This mushroom cloud rose from the plant when it exploded. WOW!

Instant communication is a two-edged sword. It allows us to send help immediately to places in need such as this small Texas town that has now been devastated. It allows people to donate blood and supplies for people who have now lost everything. But it also creates a reactionary policy. In this specific incidence, having instant communication will turn into a blessing. Trauma teams, the National Guard and other people who can help will be quickly dispatched to help. But instant and reactionary communication can also result in witch-hunts which is NOT a good thing.

The ultimate witch-hunt. The Salem Witch trials as depicted in
the masterpiece "The Crucible".

How much information publicized through the media is actually accurate? The variety of news organizations, stations, and media and reporters need to have something to report. When there is no concrete information they will often speculate. News pundits speculating can often be misinterpreted as news pundits reporting factual information. It's not always the case. So before you begin to pillory your neighbor who has been inaccurately accused, take a deep breath and await corroboration. Wait for a second source and proof. Don't act on news that is half-baked.