Checking the facts avoiding the drama

One thing that holds true in both life and politics, is that people go off half-cocked. That creates mistakes and adds much unneeded drama to life. 99% of the drama can be avoided by simply checking the facts first before going off. When I go off, I like to be fully-cocked.

Recently I wrote a blog about water resources in Mineral County based on a Comprehensive Plan meeting held in Fort Ashby. At that meeting I knew that most of the information being portrayed was flat wrong, but I didn't have the figures with me. I could have went off half-cocked, but I wanted to make sure that I was correct before I did.

After the meeting I went home and did my research on the subject. I checked all the water sources for the county. I checked the storage capacity of Jennings Randolph Lake. I did this all with official sources to make sure that my numbers were dead on correct. Then I presented my information to make my point. I went off fully-cocked.

As I watch the presidential election unfolding, I see a lot of candidates and their minions going of half-cocked. The information they are presenting is not based on fact. Much is based on innuendo. To me if a candidate cannot take the time to get the information right in their accusations, then they are not going to be high on my selection list. If their information is correct, the they are not accusations they are points of fact.

I would like to see excitement in presidential election, but I can do without the drama. Give me facts. Base arguments and disagreements on facts, and avoid the drama.

Where do you go to get your reputation back?

In a news article in the Times-News it was announced that all the charges were dropped against Sonny Alt. Not only were the charges dismissed, they were dismissed with prejudice. Prejudice implies coming to a judgement on the subject based on false beliefs.

Many people in the community believed all along that Sonny Alt was falsely accused, now the court system seems to agree. Sonny falls in the same category as the Duke Lacrosse Team. Where does he go to get his reputation back? Who do you ask to fix all the damage done to his reputation by the false accusations?

What about the voters, how should they respond? In 2004 Sonny Alt was elected to serve a 6-year term as County Clerk, so now we have disenfranchised voters because he was removed from office based on false accusations.

There were people in Mineral County ready to tar and feather Sonny based on rumor and hearsay, but in today's world you get tried and convicted in the court of public opinion. Mike Nifong even when he knew the accusations were false, refused to drop the case of apologize. The Duke Lacrosse team eventually got a public apology from the North Carolina Attorney General, because he did the honorable thing when when nobody else would. Who will be the first in Mineral County government to do the honorable thing and publicly apologize to Sonny Alt for the damage done to his reputation?