What you don't know will affect you.
What is a fact? The definition of fact, according to dictionary.com is "something that actually exists; reality; truth." Okay, that seems simple enough. Wait, reality...reality... Reality is based on the perception of the person. Therefore, my reality is going to be different than yours and same goes for truth. Thus, "facts" can be and are altered to fit into a specific agenda. Our suggestion for this week: The next time you read something that is said to be factual, research whom is behind the very facts that you may accept and support.
Living in the 21st century, it is essential to know who is funding research and providing information in the media and public policies. While you may trust the source that is providing you with information, chances are your source may be funded by private companies or special interest groups that have ulterior motives. If an organization or group will benefit from you trusting their publicized knowledge, then it is important to check their references and authority on what they determine as factual.
A perfect example of knowing your source comes from an article written about the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in April of 2010. After reading this article, we noticed that the voice of the author was down playing the amount of damage that occurred in the Gulf. Most people would not question an article published in National Geographic, but we did. Upon searching for who funded the research we discovered, in very small print may we ad, that this was funded by Shell. Now, why would an oil company be interested in funding an article written about the environmental effects of an oil spill if not for personal gain? This should make you wonder...what other types of important information are being affected by profit?
Here is another example, the website called abortionfacts.com. After doing some searching, we discovered that this "factual" website is funded and operated by a Pro-Life organization. We are firm believers in respecting others personal beliefs and opinions. Unfortunately, the "facts" on this website were heavily supporting the Pro-Life organization. If a website is going to be named, "abortion facts," then the facts should try to be as unbiased as possible. In reality, the facts about abortion are going to support and undermine both Pro-Life and Pro-Choice organizations. Other websites dedicated to Pro-Life and Pro-Choice identify themselves as this either in their name or on their home page.
There are other types of funding that can affect public information and lawmaking. One great example of this type of funded information is when political figures receive campaign contributions from private special interest groups and organizations. The Federal Election Commission publicly shares online which groups financially contribute to campaigns of individual politicians. This means the policy makers, who we are supposed to trust to shape our laws and society are each individually receiving money from special interest groups, and therefore may feel an obligation to support their values. It's easy to see who exactly is funding your favorite (or least favorite) politician by visiting http://www.fec.gov/finance/disclosure/norindsea.shtml and entering in the politician's first and last name.
We first searched Democratic Congresswoman, Dianne Feinstein. Upon clicking on the "Get Listing" button, we were presented with what appeared to be a dignified list of contributors including, "Reid, Harry via Friends for Harry Reid," "Solis, Hilda via Solis for Congress" and so on. These group titles are naming the contributors. These titles are actually links that connect to the details of whom actually contributed within each of these perfectly packaged groups.
Upon searching, we were not surprised that our female democratic congresswoman, Dianne Feinstein, has accepted numerous contributions from Planned Parenthood. In order to get this information, we first inquired who was in the group "Voters for Choice/Friends of Family Planning." Then, we were directed to another page in which we clicked on "Contributions Recieved by This Candidate's Committee". This is where we finally saw the "Planned Parenthood Action Fund." While this information is public for all to see, it is not seen by the masses.
To be clear, we are not saying that Planned Parenthood or any other organization should not have a right to lobby for their personal interest. We are simply stating that you as a citizen should be aware when voting for candidates, or failing to take action, of which value systems are funding those you are voting for or against. You may or may not agree with the values of Planned Parenthood or many other organizations that fund campaign elections. Therefore, it is important to be informed on who is contributing to the information and policy in the United States.
Overall, we would like to encourage you to check your sources, references and so-called facts. Everyone has values that they support. Be ensured that you are doing so because you are informed.
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