Witchhunting Alive In The 21st Century

Graphic writing took away from an important subject matter:

"...That fit between purpose and execution is missing in “A Rape on Campus.” What might have been an effective anecdote or case study came to dominate the story and, ultimately, undermine it.  Like other writing teachers, I have been a champion of showing over telling, of an appeal to the senses, of the power of vicarious experience through narrative. But there is another, more important move we teach at Poynter, a lesson about focus embodied in the question: “What is this story really about?”  When an important investigation about sexual assault on campus became the gruesome story about “a rape,” a magazine – and all its stakeholders – lost its way."

Not sure if Rolling Stone is alone in this. I've seen shrill nonsense from places like The New York Times and CNN too.

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The disturbing part of all this, and I suppose in a perverse way Rolling Stone did us a favor, is the fact there are people who still believe the story - in principle anyway. They're willing to overlook the fabrication of Susan because they want to believe the subject matter is bigger than anything else. It never seems to hit them that you don't need such unprofessional, unethical lies to spark a debate or discussion on rape. If they resort to such tactics, then the entire premise of their argument comes into question.

Just like Americans are discovering the foundation of Obamacare is a lie, there too there remain believers because all they see is their ideological 'success'. But they should ask themselves this: How would they feel if the tables were turned? 

And if they're willing to suspend all rational thought (think street protests and the violence in recent events) how are they any different from being part of a cult? Or as I've already stressed, how is this not a witch hunt?

We're going after everyone now. From smokers to parents we feel are neglectful to students on campus in danger of getting their lives ruined for a simple 'hello'.

From Reason:

"We now live in an increasingly Salem-like culture, in which people are called to suspend skepticism in relation to all allegations of rape, to say "I believe" the minute anyone claims to have been raped, and to be openly and proudly credulous in response to reports of rape. This cult of credulity, this constant chanting of "I believe!" has warped the public debate about rape and sexual assault. It has now reached its nadir in the shocking suspension of skepticism at Rolling Stone in response to a fabricated horror story."