My friend Sarah Braasch has a blog. If you’re unaware of it, here’s a link to it. I’ve written quite a few words about what happened to her. I won’t provide the links here, most of you have probably already read my posts. If you haven’t use the “Search” on the homepage here and look her up. I wasn’t going to write anything about her or her situation, at least in the near term. I thought I had said most of what I could for now. But today, she had a post of her emails between herself and Yale that made me respond, “Wow!”.

My education is in science. Whenever I learn about something that seems implausible to me, I investigate on my own. I’ve actually halted projects I was a team member of because those in charge didn’t perform their due diligence, and didn’t realize that what  we were about to do would significantly degrade our current capabilities. Even though I might find a claim as initially dubious, the only way I am going to know for sure, is if I take a little time and learn for myself.

Too many of us take what we read online as gospel. If it’s in The New York Times or The Washington Post, or other media outlets, it must be true. That’s very disconcerting to me. I actually never watch the news (other than local) anymore. It’s more opinion than news. Someone is suspected of [name your offense here], and if it’s reported, well that person must be guilty. But as we’ve all learned in the last few years, or at least should have, that’s not necessarily the case.

It doesn’t matter whether it comes from The Main Stream Media, or an anonymous person online, accusing someone of anything before it’s properly adjudicated only adds to the mob mentality of believing someone is guilty before all the facts are presented. We, in the Internet age, with all of the  social media platforms available to us,  are quite susceptible to this mindset.  We need to be better. We are better.

We all have the ignominious affliction of confirmation bias. I know I do. I admit it. I read or hear  something that fits within my worldview, I am of course tempted to believe whatever it is without any thought that I may be being deceived. I’m hearing truth, but only that truth that fits the narrative.

I’m saying all if this because if any of you ar aware of what occurred at Yale, on May 8, 2018, concerning Sarah, and believed what you read. Well, maybe you should stop, take another look. Consider the source, as a Professor of mine used to say. Is ther any bias in the story? Was there any attempt to actually investigate or did the media just take the word of one or two people?

A bank robbery occurred. Two witnesses. The bank robbers were described to the police and the media, but wait! The witnesses were conspirators. The media never delved into their backgrounds, or questioned if there was a motive. Make an accusation against anyone, no matter race or ethnicity. Walk away as a hero. That’s our society today.

In my opinion, we’re doomed. I feel lucky that I won’t  live long enough so see the result. I fear for the youngest though. They will never experience what we did. Blogs like this one will be illegal. YouTube, will only be for approved commentary that doesn’t go against the mandated social norms.

If there is a #Resistance, it needs to be not against an ever changing government, but against those that would place their values, their ethics, their entitlement and  privilege, over ours.