S
imilar to many University
of
Michigan
students,
I pride myself on my
critical
thinking
and analytical skills.
By now, as I careen
toward
graduation
without brakes, I feel
I am fairly well versed
in deriving meaning
from
everything.
I
can sprout arguments
about anything from
yogurt advertisements
to complex issues, such
as whether or not a
five-year-old would make
an effective president. However,
I seem to have one massive
shortcoming: I am somehow
inexcusably,
consistently
and
massively gullible, and I am not
alone in this. When it comes to
what we read online, it seems
that all of us are consistently and
problematically easy to fool.
My professors have tried to train
this out of me by demonstrating
how to challenge the ideas put
in front of me by engaging with
them skeptically, yet I am still
one of the most gullible people I
know. Recently, a friend joked that
our professor’s first name wasn’t
actually Seder but Apple Cider.
And I 100 percent believed him.
I don’t think he was even trying
to trick me. I just said to myself,
“Sure, why not,” and accepted it.
While I’d like to attribute my
occasional readiness to believe
what I’m told to my inherent
belief in the good of others, I
think the truth might have more
to do with me being an idiot
or having too much blind faith
that my friends won’t steer me
wrong. Perhaps even more likely
is that I have a lazy streak when
it comes to fact checking, and
I know I’m not alone in this.
As Americans saw repeatedly
during this past election, fake
news (stories that are completely
fabricated or bent so far from the
truth as to be unrecognizable
as reality) is increasingly an
issue on social media, spreading
baseless conspiracy theories and
misinformation, like the claim
that the Pope endorsed President
Donald Trump or that former
President Barack Obama tried
to ban the Pledge of
Allegiance.
Fake news might
not be an issue if
not for the fact that
a large majority of
people is falling for
it. According to a
study from Stanford’s
History
Education
Group, students are
alarmingly
bad
at
spotting fake news
and were unable to draw
logical conclusions about the bias,
source validity and factuality
of what they were reading. This
can have some pretty massive
implications for our democracy.
Voting relies on the assumption
that voters can make educated
decisions, which requires having
valid information. How do we
make informed decisions when we
can’t know what’s true?
Facebook
has
reportedly
begun taking steps to correct the
prominence of fake news on its site,
but it might be too late; knowing
that there is convincing fake news
circulating, it seems as if nothing
is trustworthy. With the rising
distrust of the media, how do we
know what is real? What’s true?
This implication that the media
can’t be trusted at all is scarier
and harder to battle than simply
having to see articles circulating
on Facebook that Senate Majority
Leader Mitch McConnell (R–Ky.)
is actually part turtle.
Beyond the confusion that this
matter presents to citizens about
what and whom to believe, an
even more concerning trend is
being revealed: Politicians now
have the simple cop-out response
of calling things that they disagree
with or don’t like “fake news.”
Recently, Syrian President Bashar
al-Assad used this claim of “fake
news” in regards to an Amnesty
International report that cited
human
rights
violations
in
military prisons under his regime.
In dismissing the report as fake,
Assad demonstrated how simple
it is to make massive problems
essentially disappear. He didn’t
want to respond to the allegations,
so he discredited them without
proof, and suddenly it’s just his
word against the media’s.
Assad isn’t the only one using
this tactic: Trump and his staff
are also known for crying “fake
news” when unflattering stories
surface. “Saturday Night Live”
even spoofed such an occurrence
when an actor representing CNN
had to plead from a cage during
a press briefing that “We’re not
fake news!”
Herein lies the real danger
of
this
phenomenon.
In
creating a quick, plausible
excuse to cast aspersions on
the media, it creates a space for
the subjects of those stories,
namely politicians, to create
their own convenient truths
and realities.
Unfortunately, there doesn’t
seem to be a simple way out of
this. Regaining trust is easier
said than done, especially when
it comes to an industry like mass
media, which we are inherently
asked to trust.
John Oliver had a segment
on his HBO show, “Last Week
Tonight,” this past week, in which
he issued a plea for personal
responsibility in fact checking,
asking viewers to “commit to
defending the reality of facts” on
a personal level: “Ask questions
of yourself, like, ‘is this a source I
know and recognize? Has anyone
fact checked this? Does it link to
primary sources? And do those
sources match what the story
says?’ ” Oliver suggests.
Really, all I can do is request
that every concerned citizen
questions what they are being
told, whether it’s coming from
friends, social media or authority
figures. Every single one of us
can work on our inductive and
deductive reasoning skills, and
I would know, because I’ve been
told it’s true and who am I to
question it?
E
ven before the election,
my county served as a
huge lure for journalists
who were hungry for
a peek into the lives of
traditional, working-
class individuals. In
the 1980s, the term
“Reagan Democrat”
was
coined
about
its
residents
in
reference
to
blue
collar workers who
flipped
Republican
after a long track
record
of
voting
Democrat. This year,
Rolling Stone labeled
Macomb
County,
Michigan,
“Trump County, USA” in a
provocative headline, and the
Guardian seemed to dismiss
us as lazy hicks who blissfully
refuse to read the news. But
despite all the bad publicity,
it is important to note that
not
everyone
in
Macomb
County voted for Trump, and
many residents of the area are
actually pretty progressive —
just not in ways that are easily
recognizable to University of
Michigan students.
For
context,
Macomb
County is located in southeast
Michigan and is known for
being
predominantly
white
and working class. The area’s
historical reliance on the auto
industry means the effects of
globalization, outsourcing and
the 2008 financial crisis not only
decimated the economy over
time, but destroyed the trust
of its residents in government
as well. In local elections, folks
still tend to vote Democrat. On
the national stage, however,
thinning
patience
with
establishment politics has made
it increasingly likely for an
outsider candidate to triumph
over a career politician, if only
for the sheer satisfaction of
“sticking it to the man.”
But while these people are
tired and angry, that anger does
not always translate into bigotry.
In fact, most of my friends back
home hold fundamental views
that closely match those of the
average left-leaning University
of Michigan student, though
they would still probably be
ostracized in elite liberal circles
for being problematic or ignorant.
This is because the standard
for
sociopolitical
consciousness
at
the
University
is
extremely
high
—
students
here
are
hyper-aware of their
own prejudices and
assumptions and have
adopted the habit of
routinely
checking
themselves
to
accommodate others.
While
this
is
an
incredible
feat
for us, people who
have had little exposure to
academia or progressive spaces
(by no fault of their own)
are not conditioned to do the
same and can seem rude or
unsophisticated at times as a
result of their inexperience.
Part
of
this
outgroup
scrutiny, I think, is rooted in
our inability to acknowledge
the privileges we have as college
students. After all, in many
ways, a commitment to activism
is a commitment to incessant
education. By attending an elite
institution, we are afforded
both time and a myriad of
resources to better ourselves,
to reading and interacting with
people who have had a variety
of experiences and hold views
that are different from our
own. Questioning our beliefs,
analyzing our implicit biases and
evaluating our positionalities
(even just knowing what the
word
positionality
means)
takes a focused kind of energy
that is not so easily attainable
outside
academia.
Moreover,
having a place to intellectualize
our
everyday
experiences
and
synthesize
multiple
perspectives is something a lot
of us encounter for the first time
in college — and not everyone is
lucky enough to go to college. We
tend to forget the significance of
this when we critique others for
their shortcomings.
Consequently,
progressive
circles
lend
themselves
to
a kind of tragic irony: As
they become more and more
committed to inclusivity, they
unknowingly shut out people
who don’t meet their standards
of tolerance and consciousness.
Outsiders who are not so
attuned
to
these
rapidly
evolving
ideologies
—
who
occasionally flub a pronoun
or butcher a name they have
never encountered before — are
often written off as insensitive
or ignorant without further
analysis. In our dismissal of
what we interpret as bigotry,
we alienate people who may
otherwise be open to learning;
we turn progressive politics
into an exclusive club reserved
for only the most educated and
conscientious
while
failing
to acknowledge that progress
itself
implies
a
constant
movement toward something
better — a spectrum rather
than an absolute.
Moving forward, we cannot
be
so
quick
to
repudiate
people we perceive as being
less educated on the issues
than ourselves. It is time to
turn our sermons of tolerance
and acceptance inward — to
understand that not everyone
can stay on top of the latest
developments
in
progressive
theory, as they may not have
access to spaces in which this
information is readily available.
Be patient and learn to recognize
that the ability to pursue higher
education and all that it entails
is an advantage that very few
can access. Our job is to relay
the information we learn here
to others, not look down at
them from our high horses
because they cannot explain
concepts like intersectionality
in sufficient detail.
Opinion
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
4 — Friday, February 17, 2017
REBECCA LERNER
Managing Editor
420 Maynard St.
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
tothedaily@michigandaily.com
Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890.
EMMA KINERY
Editor in Chief
ANNA POLUMBO-LEVY
and REBECCA TARNOPOL
Editorial Page Editors
Unsigned editorials reflect the official position of the Daily’s Editorial Board.
All other signed articles and illustrations represent solely the views of their authors.
Carolyn Ayaub
Megan Burns
Samantha Goldstein
Caitlin Heenan
Jeremy Kaplan
Max Lubell
Alexis Megdanoff
Madeline Nowicki
Anna Polumbo-Levy
Jason Rowland
Ali Safawi
Kevin Sweitzer
Rebecca Tarnopol
Ashley Tjhung
Stephanie Trierweiler
EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS
Progress is privilege
LAUREN SCHANDEVEL | COLUMN
Fighting mass gullibility
SARAH LEESON | COLUMN
Sarah Leeson can be reached at
sleeson@umich.edu.
Lauren Schandevel can be reached
at schandla@umich.edu.
SARAH
LEESON
I
am a relatively recent
transfer
admit
to
the
University of Michigan’s
College
of
Engineering.
I
am also a severely disabled
student. At age 19, I was a
sophomore here when I suffered
an Arteriovenous Malformation,
a brain hemorrhage that left
me with signs of a stroke.
After being in a coma for three
months, I awoke, not being
able to do anything. After
countless physical therapists,
occupational
therapists
and
doctors, I am now 30 and
excited to continue studying at
this famed University.
Charm and friendliness are
predominant features in my
journey back to the University
of Michigan. One of my first
experiences started with a visit
to Services for Students with
Disabilities. The people there
were very accommodating and
helpful in getting me whatever
I needed, be it providing me
with scribes or note takers or
securing transportation to and
from my classes. Without this
help, I would not have been able
to overcome the new hurdles
that arose after the accident. All
the people from the University
of
Michigan
have
been
exceptionally helpful. Without
their expert help, I would not be
able to attend the University’s
College of Engineering.
My
caregivers
at
the
University
have
been
wonderful. I need caregivers
for all my daily tasks of living.
While there are not many of
them, they became some of
my closest friends on campus.
They help me by being diligent
and kind in their services to
me. Without these select few,
my experience here would be
more challenging.
The student body has also
been a pleasant surprise to me,
providing me with comfort
and making me feel at home.
It has touched me how they
really cared about me. One
instance was when the girl
who usually sits behind me in
my aerospace engineering class
said “Hi!” to me when we were
in an Aerospace Engineering
Department
meeting.
Even
though it was such a small
gesture, it meant the world to
me. I have been waiting for a
fellow student to extend that
common courtesy to me for
the longest time. My faith in
humanity was restored by how
much of a heart the student body
at the University of Michigan
has. They made me feel a part of
their community, which I have
wanted all along.
What also helps immensely
is
the
presence
of
student
organizations. I was a member
of a student group with disabled
students and their friends called
Students with Disabilities and
Our Allies Group. One example
of how their behavior changed
my life was in one of the first
meetings of the group, they
asked me if I had any thoughts.
I told them that I wished the
group could convene in a place
more accessible to those who
do not live on Central Campus.
They helped me by enabling me
to participate as a member of a
group. Without the student body,
I would not have had the courage
to speak up in my other student
groups up on North Campus.
It was not only general
student groups that welcomed
and included me back into the
University. I can’t image this
experience without the students
and faculty in the Aerospace
Engineering Department. Both
students and faculty gave me
a great opportunity in my first
aerospace engineering lab. This
class was special because we
learned how to design, build and
test a hovercraft from scratch.
Another great experience I
had was one with the aerospace
technicians’
office
in
the
Francois-Xavier
Bagnoud
Building. I could go in the tech’s
office and set down all my
stuff for the day and it would
be there at the end of the day.
I sometimes have 10 or more
pounds of various assistive
technologies and my personal
stuff to carry around with me in
a single day, so you can tell I am
obviously appreciative because
I could find a little place, with
the aerospace techs, where I
could set my stuff down. They
even have a desk in their office
just for me. This is not an
option for everybody; I only got
it after going to their office for
many months. I met some of the
most influential people in my
journey at the University in the
tech’s center. I think I found
one of the “hidden treasures” of
University of Michigan’s North
Campus in FXB.
Initially,
navigating
the
“system” and life after the
accident made me feel like
I
could
never
return
to
accomplish the dreams I had
prior to it. Now, I realize that
I deserve to be a student and
nothing can stop me in my
dream of becoming the first
disabled person in space. I feel
it is of the utmost importance
to always have a dream. The
dream is what keeps me alive.
Without the dream, I would
not be where I am: at the
University of Michigan.
I know I have a long way to
go before accomplishing my
dream, but if you had seen
me in the appalling position
I was stuck in after my AVM,
you would be floored at how
far I have come. Going back to
college was just my first step
in accomplishing my dream.
One day, I will be a success.
I will strive to live up to the
strict standards placed on
me by being a student at this
prestigious University.
Experiencing campus in a different way
BRADLEY EBENHOEH | OP-ED
Bradley Ebenhoeh is an Engineering
senior.
LAUREN
SCHANDEVEL
SUBMIT TO SURVIVORS SPEAK
The Michigan Daily’s Opinion section is seeking additions to Survivors
Speak, a series of first-person accounts of campus sexual assault
and its corresponding personal, academic and legal implications.
Submissions will be due by March 10 at 11:59PM.
Visit http://bit.ly/2kIeoMq for more information.
— President Donald Trump responding to a question about the
media at his press conference Thursday.
“
NOTABLE QUOTABLE
I’m not ranting and raving. I’m
just telling you. You know, you’re
dishonest people. But I’m not
ranting and raving. I love this. I’m
having a good time doing it. ”
Our job is to relay
the information
we learn here to
others.