18 July 2013
Thomas Secrest
It's true that anyone can blog, just as I am doing, however, I can't really say I have public voice. At best it is a semi-public voice set on the lowest possible volume.
The Trayvon Martin case is rather complex and for that reason it is little understood. The commercial media is not going to provide an education, they are going to provide snippets of relatively worthless information. As with anything that is complex, snippets are of little value.
As a result of the poor quality coverage and as a result of not wanting to take time to fully understand the issue, people are now shaping deeply held but ill-informed opinions. If these opinions are held by those without a public voice, then perhaps the harm of ignorance is minimized. However, when these ill-informed opinions are held by those with a public voice the damage can be widespread.
Regardless of why, people often assume that those with a public voice are better informed than most and that their opinions reflect a greater understanding of the issue. Regrettably this is not the case. Those with a public voice are just people and their opinions are often just as ill-informed. They rely on media snippets just like most people; and like most people don't take the time to seek the truth.
It seems like dozens and dozens of TV, movie, and music celebrities have jumped on the Trayvon Martin money wagon. With opinions no better formed than the stuff in your nose, they have thrown their voice into the public arena knowing that they can ride this wagon to better sales or more viewers or more listeners or maybe just a higher celebrity status.
What they don't appreciate is that their voice may also incite some young person into making a life altering decision because they trust the celebrity to know right from wrong; and in the words of the celebrity they find motivation, perhaps not intended, to do things that can't be undone.
So to all those would-be intellectuals who think their celebrities status qualifies them to comment on things they don't and perhaps can't understand, I say "stuff a sock in it and shut-up!" Stick to things more in your league, like finger nail polish, hair styles, tanning lotions and fad diets. We have all the ill-informed public voices we can handle in the from of the executive and legislative branches of our local, state and national government; we really don't need anymore.
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