re: high noon at the town hall

UPDATE: There are things going on here too people (here is Vancouver, B.C). Health care guys! Woooo!

Love it. "End of death counseling" PEOPLE. PEOPLE DIE. IT HAPPENS.

Just watched a clip from Colbert Report his insurance program for the show has it included. Betcha most of the ppl who have insurance and are yelling "death panel" have it.

So these "death panels" are only killing grandma by ACTUALLY GIVING HER DECENT INSURANCE.

*pant pant*

Another tidbit:

I read that the percentage of those who agree with "Obama's" plan goes up almost 30% if they read a paragraph stating what is in the plan than if they go on what they "know" already.

I theorize that many people seen at these town hall meetings aren't (for the most part) ignorant and angry but are of an era where one was "safe" to "believe" their news. Not just information, ideas were what you could find at 6 o'clock and again at 9. Many anchors during the Cronkite era gave editorial views - well-researched, thoughtful and thought-provoking editorial views - that were worth believing. This was the intent of news journalism, or at least of the "personalities" like Cronkite: the evening anchor is the editor, the summation.

So transpose this mentality to the 24 hour news/infotainment/corporate news era (I won't pick on Fox News because MSNBC is just as biased). The assumption of credibility remains while the proof is flimsy. Inflammatory statements disguised as questions, pure opinion disguised as researched editorial, editorial disguised as reporting. I am not surprised people are scared.

While the Cronkite/anchor oriented era mindset had flaws, it was based on critical thinking and reporting; however, while this type of news can breed critical thinking, it can also create a trust trap which places the news anchor as having the final (or at least most important) word. If I trusted what Bill O' said like I trusted Cronkite, I'd be yelling at my senator too.