Thread by @BBuchman_CNS

I finally read Trump's recent speech to Navy grads and in the transcript, when he complains about the press being unfair and abusive to him, the notation followed: [Applause].
And while it wasnt the first time I thought about this, the idea renewed itself...

These are newly minted service members, who uphold an oath to protect all Americans. If they applaud at that, I wonder, do they agree that the press is, as the commander in chief calls us, "the enemy of the people"? Or is the applause empty, kneejerk? Or is it both...

Does that then mean there may be people in the audience confused as to the role of the press? Will their commander's words change how they do their duty? Will they treat war reporters/correspondents as friend or foe? Will it instill a prejudice? How does this play over time?

What these questions lead me to, ultimately, is not a mire of complaints about a given politician. That's an easy path to tread. It leads me to questions about our collective ability to think critically.

Twitter is a world of half digested instant reactions & ppl often say...

Well, the real world isnt social media. People talk to each other differently. They tend to listen more. Maybe so. But these habits we create online, the immediately formed opinion about a subject, before we even digest context, I know it bleeds over into the real world.

It would be easy to say, for example, "every Navy grad that clapped, oh, they just hate the press." But how, how do we know that? We don't. We just don't. And it takes less than 30 seconds of taking a moment to think about it to come to that realization. And if you come to that..

Then you can start asking more Qs. Suddenly, you're asking whats there or not, you're asking more Qs. Thinking. Critically.
I really wish to see more of that online and off. All of the pleasantries offline seem to mean little if we dont take our hive mind here more seriously.

I know I am basically, pardon the language but it seems fitting, pissing in the wind here. But I feel if anything bears repeating today it is a rational call for critical thought. Fine, disagree, but take 30 more seconds. We *all* have so much riding on this. Isnt it worth that?

And on that note, good night. Be good to each other!