A friend of mine recently made a comment regarding whether they could trust the information from a person who isn't employed by a mainstream media company such as CNN, ABC, NBC, BBC, etc presumably because they have an obligation to tell the truth and not spread misinformation.

It got me thinking about it and I came up with an example that might make sense to you, free of political bias.

Remember ever reading a history book or anything in the non-fiction categories? The author of the book might have been someone well-known, but could have also been someone who was simply smart, had good ideas and a good researcher and writer. And just because you might have never heard of them or they were not already famous, etc didn't mean what they wrote about was worthless. Even myself, if I write about genealogy (considered by some as an expert) based on what I've researched, just because I don't work for a major media company doesn't automatically make what I say invalid.

This is how I approach anyone who has something interesting to say. We must always question whether they're pushing some hidden agenda and decide whether the information seems plausible or factual or complete bullshit. Sometimes they might have some good information combined with obviously false or suspect info. But it's up to ME to decide, not someone trying to decide if I should hear what anyone has to say.

The government wants us to believe they are protecting us but I don't need or want their protection. I want them to get the hell out of my life. I don't need a "ministry of truth" like Orwell's 1984 that filters all information I'm allowed to get.

I think everyone needs to hear other viewpoints and decide what's true or not. Two opposing viewpoints can debate and let their audience decide what to think for themselves.

In my opinion, nobody should trust the government to tell you the correct time of day. Virtually all elected officials let power go to their head and do everything to hold onto their power. And appointed bureaucrats or hired workers have little reason to care about anyone but themselves. They just want to get a paycheck and are capable of doing anything to stay employed whether or not what they are doing is honest or the right thing to do.

We don't need modern day book burning as they did in Nazi Germany.

Free speech isn't good only for you and not allowed for someone you disagree with. We either all have the freedom to speak our mind or we don't. There's no middle ground. And without free speech we are on the road to tyranny. Only a tyrant wants to censor because if they don't they'll lose all control.

Feel free to share this if you agree.