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Saturday, 04 July 2009 |
By Erick Sugimura
Mammoth Times Copyeditor
Mammoth Lakes Police Chief Randy Schienle called a press conference two weeks ago to address swirling rumors and open allegations involving him, his qualifications as police chief and the off-duty conduct of certain MLPD officers.
What Schienle did, apart from responding as frankly and openly as anyone could hope, was set an example of what more public figures need to do: Stand up for themselves.
Typically, public figures tend to avoid responding to groundless accusations as doing so can be misperceived as validating the charges.
But Schienle told his side of the story and essentially put the ball back in the court of his detractors. But if they want to keep playing the accusation game, they will need to produce facts.
No more, “I heard from a credible source...” and no more, “I know for a fact...”
If there’s a credible source, we should be wondering, why haven’t they come forward? If someone says they know something for a fact, where’s the evidence?
It isn’t about challenging anyone either, but validating information.
And this goes well beyond just the MLPD, too.
If someone says that town staff is making work just to make work, ask them ‘Who is?’, ‘What work?’ and ‘How do you know this?’
Demand facts.
If someone says a developer is doing something illegal, ask, ‘What are they doing?’ and ‘How is that illegal?’
Demand evidence.
And if the media says something costs X amount of dollars or that the somebody is pulling a fast one, ask, ‘How did you come to that amount?’ and ‘Isn’t that an opinion?’
Demand better.
By accepting unsubstantiated rumors and sensationalized allegations as truth, without question or a second thought, we become a society that begs to be led by those who make the biggest scene – who cry wolf and play off our fears and anger.
But don’t ignore these rumors. Listen to them.
Listen very carefully.
Only by listening to these allegations and demanding the facts that support them can we sift out the real problems from the false.
The reality of a situation is usually not as black and white – right or wrong – as rumor mongers want you to think.
Whether it’s the word on the street or in print, if it comes from your neighbor of off the Internet, don’t let yourself become a sheep to the latest juicy gossip – seek the truth and help lead the community of Mammoth out of the rumor mill.
Unsigned editorials are the opinion of the Mammoth Times Editorial Board, comprised of Publisher Dave Balcom and Editor Diane Eagle. Signed editorials are the opinion of the author. |
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Last Updated ( Monday, 13 July 2009 )
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