Misdirection in the Face of National Tragedy: A (Mostly) Good Message Could Become Diluted



Morgan Freeman
http://scrapetv.com/...
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In the absence of feedback, it is impossible for me to know who reads Codified: The Life and Thoughts of Matthew Morse, so I have no way of knowing if you and I have met in person or spoken on the phone.  Perhaps you are reading this in my voice, Morgan Freeman's, The Simpsons' Professor Frink's, your own, or someone else's altogether.

Jonathan "John" I.Q. Neidelbaum Frink, Jr.
B.Sc., Ph.D. M.R.S.C., C.Chem
http://simpsons.wikia.com/wiki/...
Cropped without Permission
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In the wake of the tragedies that took place in Newtown, Connecticut on Friday, December 14, 2012, almost everyone had something to say.  Some spoke about gun use, others about mental health.  Everyone that I know talked about overwhelming heartbreak, and that was amplified among those of my friends who are parents.

One man wrote about the misguided notion of treating murderers like celebrities, repeating their names, burning them into our memories.  Most of his words had solid value on their own, but somewhere along the line, someone thought that the words would have more credibility if they were said to have come from Mister Freeman.  The Inquisitr reported in this article that a man named Mark from Vancouver (no further specification as to Washington or British Columbia) wrote the opinion.  I shall not be copying "Mark"'s words in entirety here.  In the highly unlikely event that you are not familiar with them, please conduct a search of "Morgan Freeman Newtown Hoax," and you will receive numerous responses.

You may have read in some of my previous blog entries "As with many things, I am of two minds on this," or similar wording.  In this case, I am of at least three, and I will do my best to address each of those briefly.

Assuming that The Inquisitr's article is accurate, the man identified as Mark from Vancouver, or someone on his behalf, gamed the system, lending heavier weight to his words by attributing them to a well-respected celebrity.  When it has been pointed out that Morgan Freeman did not provide the opinion, many people have responded with something like "Well, it doesn't matter who said it, that is spot-on."   

 As indicated above, the words had solid value of their own.  They might not have gained as much immediate attention as they did, but, ideally, someone so insightful could very possibly have developed relationships with people in the media and/ or in government and shared his insights with them.  He could have written a letter to the editor.  He could have shared his views in some public forum and secured the attention of someone who would have taken notice.  He could have put some effort into it.  Instead, he fooled many people into believing his words possessed a greater gravity by attaching Morgan Freeman's name to them.  We attach importance to celebrity - right, wrong, or otherwise.



Misdirection
http://blogdemagia.com/2009/08/14/la-misdirection/
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Believe me.  It's not as though I am missing the point.  I often value an end and dislike the means by which it was achieved.  I can not stress enough how the spirit of the opinion has great worth.  My concern is that the integrity of Mark's argument could become compromised by virtue of the nonsense that now surrounds it.  Additionally, I have a great disdain for work that spreads across Facebook and other social networks like wildfire before it is authenticated.

Here is big problem though:  by talking about the origin of the opinion, we can lose the importance of its message, and that is extremely unfortunate.  Additionally, by focusing on this side matter, I am taking my eye off the actual problem - someone murdered twenty children.  That is what makes me the most upset of all:  when we are faced with a difficult conversation or decision, we look for an easier way out.  We create side issues, bluffing and blustering, pretending that we are addressing the matter, when we very clearly are not.  We fool ourselves into thinking that the answer will just come to us if we wait.  We put it off until tomorrow.

You have an opinion on the violence that has plagued the United States over the course of the past year, and you have a "solution."  Don't get into an argument with a friend.  Don't call people names.  Instead, put your voice to work.  Contact your elected representatives and share your opinion with them.  If they disagree with you, find a common point.  Find something.  Find anything,  and make that a platform for intelligent discussion.  Do it now.  Do not put it off until tomorrow.

Sometimes, tomorrow does not come.