The Reality Sculptors "Faq-O-Matic": Technical Accuracy in Political Discussion and Media Reporting

[Show Expert Edit Commands]

	The Reality Sculptors "Faq-O-Matic" : "Laws We'd Like To See" : Technical Accuracy in Political Discussion and Media Reporting
	All political discussion and media reporting shall be restricted to scientifically and technically accurate terminology. The use of politically loaded phrases (sometimes referred to as "so-called" names, or denoted with "a.k.a.") is to be banned from public discourse as a behavior that promotes the "dumbing down" of our populace by not requiring them to become familiar with the proper terms and conditions under discussion. Examples from the current media: "Partial birth abortion" would be referred to by its medical terminology, such as "third-trimester abortion" or "dilation and extraction procedure". The "French Abortion Pill" or "morning-after pill" would be referred to by its scientific names "RU486" or "Mifepristone". "Stem Cells" are actually referred to in the scientific literature as "Stem Cells" or "Pluripotent Stem Cells" and come from a variety of sources, including embryonic, fetal, and adult tissues. Unfortunately, much of the distinction has been lost in the popular media, as the level of discussion is reduced from scientific and medical levels to that of a "Frankenstein monster" level. (i.e. - scare-mongering by simplification and "dumbing down", rather than continuing the technical discussions on technical levels. The assumption here is that if you wish to express your opinion in a public forum, then it should be an informed and technically accurate opinion. And it is the duty of anyone responsible for making decisions about these matters to be informed and technically accurate. This includes politicians, who should be expected to converse at a technically literate level, or refrain from contributing on the matter, recognizing that they aren't qualified to speak. Media sources, reporters, and editors should also be held to high standards, and should be required to use scientifically accurate terminology, or refrain from publishing. Our current practices of allowing any and all uninformed opinions and slang/buzzwords to creep into our public discourse seems to be having a deleterious effect on our collective level of discussion, and seems to be leading to the dumbing-down and poor thinking/debating skills we see exhibited throughout the country today. Too often the true meaning of the debate is lost in a devolution to inaccurate but emotionally loaded terminology. This proposal would seek to remedy that by requiring people to become at least functionally literate in the topic they wish to discuss, or stay out of the discussion.
	Append to This Answer
	2001-Aug-12 1:16pm

Previous:	Separation of Authorities
Next:	The Ethnic Impartiality Act

This document is: http://reality.sculptors.com/cgi-bin/fom?file=61

	[Search]	[Appearance]		[Show Expert Edit Commands]
This is a Faq-O-Matic 2.719.

Comments to: "webmistress" at this domain.
The Reality Sculptors Home Page