Letter: Verify content, but save lectures, biased language

From: Jonah Dement

Columbus

In the March 8 edition of The Republic, there was a well-written letter about verifying content that you spread. I wholeheartedly agree. Misinformation spreads like wildfire. Even news organizations are prone to picking up less-than-reputable stories, which compounds the problem.

However, using biased language or revealing your political stance does not help you. Even though Hillary Clinton’s comment was aimed at the alt-right group, she placed “half of Trump’s supporters into what [she] call[s] the basket of deplorables.” The other half, she said, were simply let down with the government and the general state of affairs, which is, unlike the first half of the comment, accurate.

I do not condone the actions of the so-called alt-right. However, placing the staunch, conservative Trump supporters who supported him for more than just being something new in the same group as white-supremacist, neo-Nazis is not going to earn you respect. The reason some identify themselves as “deplorables” is because they are fed up with being portrayed as the bad guys by many Democrats.

Additionally, saying you are “embarrassed that [you] even know Donald Trump voters” is also biased, near-vitriolic language that doesn’t need to be said, especially in a message that should be heeded by both sides.

Everyone should verify information that they spread. It’s your responsibility. However, by using heavily biased language, you are compounding the problem of misinformation.