Walking in the rain...

If you walk in the rain, you will get wet. This is so obvious to everyone. Of course, if you use an umbrella, at least your head will be spared. Depending on the intensity of the rain (and wind), the clothes we are wearing either will be soaked or spared, it depends so much on many factors. It may be drizzling or pouring heavily, the chances are we will be the victim, one way or another. The alternative is to wait under a shelter or somewhere, until the weather gets better and we can get on with our lives. We can just wait, since even the heaviest thunderstorm would not go on forever. It will end, and we can get on with our daily chores. But, as usual, seldom we can just wait and do nothing until everything settled. Life will demand we do something, there and then. Well, we can just wade through the rain or we could use an umbrella or a rain-coat, so that life will continue as usual. Rain will be always be there, once in a while. It is not something unusual. Life must regain its normality. 

In this election season, slanders are like rains. They fall on us on daily basis, and we just could not find a way to avoid the fall-outs. Wading through the accusations-laced slanders are not easy. There are so many who are more than willing to believe all that come to their alleys.  It is as if there is not sense of logic and common sense among some sectors of the society. A slander is there to smear someone's credibility, especially those vying for a post, and it is there to gather support to the other party. Yes, slanders are akin to rain. They are very difficult to avoid, and one would be very lucky to avoid them, or the least to be an insignificant part of the unseen and surely viral loop. Sometimes, the act of asking for clarification from others, is actually, contributing to the spread of the false accusations. Unknowingly, one suddenly becomes the agent or the carrier of the slander. In today's interconnected social network, via the internet backbone, and wireless communication platforms, a simple act of sharing an unverified story, will be the start of the unstoppable momentum. There is literally no way of a 100% withdrawal of stories or news from the widespread social media web which has unknown borders. If you a bit unlucky, few years down the road, you will be shared stories which will look very familiar to you . Yes, the news we created are coming back to roost.

Slanders are the norm in today's elections. It should not be the case. Why can't truth and facts be the norm? Why can't we outright reject all those who create and spread the lies and unfounded news? Why can't we be more inquisitive and more critical to what are presented to us? Why can't we be honest and not do to other what we do not unto ourselves? We fight for the leadership posts to bring a better future for the nation. If one gets to the top via slanders and false claims, then what hope are we putting to our future survival?

Let us stop the slanders!

____________

• contentious

• DEFINITION

adjective

1

: likely to cause disagreement or argument

2

: exhibiting an often perverse and wearisome tendency to quarrels and disputes

• EXAMPLES

Although she is very pleasant in person, Katie has a tendency to become aggressive and contentious in online discussions.

"The issue of affordable housing in New Jersey, one of the nation's most densely populated states, has been contentiousfor decades…." — From an article by Anthony Campisi, The Star-Ledger (Newark, New Jersey), January 28, 2013