Cynical or Gullible

Which are you? Over the past 10 or 20 years
I have lean towards the cynical, and some times
it has been good, and some times not so good.
But got to admit, I rely on it some times. If things
don’t add up, then there is something wrong there.

So where the heck was my cynic radar last week?
I read the story in the paper. I gave it credence,
because it was from an out of town paper report.
But that really isn’t a good excuse.

Why didn’t I look at it like I usually do? The old
measure of : believe quarter of what you hear & read, and
half of what you see. A long time motto, I have used
many times. If it doesn’t add up… it isn’t right.

After the fact, which is not really a good way to do
things, I can see I jumped the gun. I didn’t do the
math.

I still believe the young lady was wronged. I still
believe the young man got way too light of a sentence.
I don’t believe he deserved 15 years. But I believe he
should have served some time (6 months?). I
believed he should have to do a lot more community
service than he was given. And I think he
should have to take sensitivity classes. He obviously
did not think when he spoke, and he needs to understand
the seriousness of what he called a joke. And if the
Prosecuting Attorney did say, “don’t make waves”..then he
should be Mr. Davis’s classmate.

Did the Judge in fact make the remarks that were quoted
her? It will be a while before that will be known by the
public. And will the outraged public believe her? If
the P.A. backs her, right now the mood of the public,
is not in a forgiving mood. Did she say, she could
understand how this happen because she has sons, and
some one else made the “boys will be boys” of it ?
The lawyer the victim’s family contacted and the defense
lawyer thing, does not set well either.

Which brings a lot of this down to where the information
came from. The paper media. The Hagadone Paper Network.
Did the reporter tell the truth? Did he tell it like he thought it was?
He reported the father of the victim remarks. Where could he
go with the story if he could only get one side. Did he try
to get information from the Davis side? Did the father’s side
add up?

Well the lesson learn here, at least for me.. is to THINK…
Put into gear my old motto…. Believe a quarter of what
you read and half of what you see…

And please, let us all hope the real story comes out. The
truth.. not the spin.

Hindsight is always better than foresight, unfortunately.