First off, Eli Saslow of the Washington Post produced an excellent but highly depressing story about the Internet rumors that will make this presidential election far closer than it deserves to be. So what godforsaken, backward place did he travel to for his story? Well, what state is EVERY bad news story located in this year? This is just a snippet -- seriously, read the whole thing.
FINDLAY, Ohio -- On his corner of College Street, Jim Peterman stares
at the four American flags planted in his front lawn and rubs his
forehead. Peterman, 74, is a retired worker at Cooper Tire, a father of
two, an Air Force veteran and a self-described patriot. He took one
trip to Washington in 1989 -- best vacation of his life -- and bought a
statue of the Washington Monument that he still displays in a glass case in his living room.
He believes a smart vote is an American's greatest responsibility. Which is why his confusion about Barack Obama continues to eat at him.
On the television in his living room, Peterman has watched enough news and campaign advertisements to hear the truth: Sen. Barack Obama,
born in Hawaii, is a Christian family man with a track record of public
service. But on the Internet, in his grocery store, at his neighbor's
house, at his son's auto shop, Peterman has also absorbed another
version of the Democratic candidate's background, one that is entirely
false: Barack Obama, born in Africa, is a possibly gay Muslim racist
who refuses to recite the Pledge of Allegiance.
"It's like you're hearing about two different men with nothing in
common," Peterman said. "It makes it impossible to figure out what's
true, or what you can believe."
And then there's this from the Telegraph in Britain. I give it five years before this is standard operating procedure on this side of the pond.
Beverly was all set to volunteer for her five-year-old daughter Mary's
school party last March. She was shocked when she learnt from a teacher
that she was not welcome as she hadn't been vetted by the Criminal
Records Bureau. ...
Beverly's experience is far from unique. Alka
Sehgal-Cuthbert is still seething with anger as she tells me about a
flyer sent to parents at her son's primary school. It instructed them
not to attend a children's Christmas disco unless they were CRB
checked. "The discos are known as fun-filled noisy events, not
potential danger zones for children," says Alka. There was no
explanation. As far as the school was concerned, this was a
common-sense precaution in a world where a climate of suspicion shapes
perceptions of adult behaviour towards children.
The
system of vetting adults who work with children was introduced in 2002
in the aftermath of the horrific abduction and murder of two
schoolgirls in Soham. But most parents still don't realise that it has
since expanded arbitrarily and can encompass virtually any adult who
wishes to come in to contact with children.
So
if you are not licensed by the CRB, don't be surprised if you are
discouraged from attending your child's activities. What astonished
Alka was that so many parents have come to accept such intrusive
vetting as a fact of life.
Long story short: You're a sex offender until proven otherwise. Enjoy the police state.
