Not long ago I wrote about watching a young child with his father crying in a fuel bay at a local Casey's General Store. A uniformed employee soon emerged and handed the boy a chocolate doughnut, which I opined was a simple kindness that deserved notice.
I offered no reason behind the child's unhappiness, only the observation that he was crying and a stranger cared enough to try and ease his unhappiness.
Ah, but wouldn't you know in this increasingly hostile era where so many fancy themselves critics of and judges of darn near everything they observe or read, I had no fewer than three (including a letter to the editor) people write me with stern lectures about how my comment was a terrible thing because it undermined the father's parental authority.
Oh my, how they did throw their own forms of written hissy fits about that doughnut without offering one fact to support their arguments.
Being a father and grandfather, and one who would neither condone undermining parental authority nor giving in to tantrums, I realized while watching the vignette unfold that I too neither knew or cared about circumstances surrounding the doughnut.
For all I knew, the child had dropped his doughnut and the employee had replaced it. For all I knew, the father may not have had enough cash in his pocket to buy a second doughnut, but wouldn't have objected to his son having one. For all I knew, the child's displeasure may have had nothing to do with a pastry and the employee was simply trying to make him feel better by offering one.
In this unprecedented time of uninformed critics (especially on the bane of nastiness that social media has become) it might be both wise and civil if bona fide adults would gather at least a few facts before unloading judgments as if they know it all. Merely a suggestion.
Social media abuses
As readers know, I sometimes publish letters I receive. Here's a mildly edited one from Paul R. Huench of Cherokee Village that dovetails with my comments above.
"Thank you for writing your insightful editorial, 'Necessity's decline.' In some ways it is more a sad expose on the decline of civility and respect shown by our current culture. I've enjoyed the benefits of the digital age and the ability to use facts and numbers to use in decision-making. Instantaneous responses on facts and opinions are a blessing and a curse.
"The one thing, and you noted it very well, is the abuse that has developed around social media. The longer I'm around social/digital media, the more I see it as a cancer that is destroying the fabric of America. Just this week I got off a social media outlet called Nextdoor as an innocent man was singled out as a supposed pedophile by a group of misguided 'wannabe' reporters in using Nextdoor and Facebook in the name of community safety and using the excuse 'better safe than sorry.' No regrets and no 'skinback' for this character assassination and what could have jeopardized this man's health and safety.
"Police investigated and the man was cleared. But at what cost? Since his vehicle and license were published on social media, he was afraid to come out of his house. Those posting are trying to be influencers with little regard for facts or consequences of their writings. We pine for the old days when vetting and accuracy were required. If you change one person's opinion for the positive with your editorial, that is what I would consider a service to the community. In response to social media posts, I'd cite the old TV series Dragnet and Jack Webb's admonition: 'Just the facts, ma'am.' How I miss investigative journalism."
Tribute to Paige
I always enjoy participating in golf tournaments that benefit worthwhile charities, knowing the money goes directly to worthwhile causes.
The annual Paige Slape tournament at the Diamond Hills course has raised $30,000 in its 12 years, benefiting high school students from Boone and Newton counties through scholarships.
Named after the late Alyssa Paige Slape, daughter of former Newton County sheriff and now state Rep. Keith Slape, the tournament draws more than 100 participants including sheriffs from across northern Arkansas and the state.
Playing this year with son Brandon, Baxter County Sheriff John Montgomery, and his partner, attorney Mark "Striker" Whitfield of Little Rock, the 2019 version was filled with good-natured ribbing in ways only a lawman, lawyer and journalist so easily exchange.
It's always good when you can combine enriching experiences and nonstop laughter with an event benefiting others.
I've known Keith Slape for years. I wish I could have known Paige, too. In her 17 short years here before an automobile accident tragically claimed her life on May 24, 2008, Paige left a broad wake. Born in Compton, she was an honor student at Jasper High School, where she was to be cheerleader captain for the 2008-2009 school year and a member of the Jasper FFA Student Council.
Her tournament has become a primary source of funding for dozens of students who have followed her. What greater tribute could any of us offer in memorial to her having contributed so much?
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Mike Masterson is a longtime Arkansas journalist, was editor of three Arkansas dailies and headed the master's journalism program at Ohio State University. Email him at mmasterson@arkansasonline.com.
Editorial on 09/03/2019