I was snubbed recently by the neglectful folks at People Magazine who named Bradley Cooper the “Sexiest Man Alive.”
They selected someone more “famous,” “handsome” and “talented,” according to folks in my inner circle. Some in my thickheaded group added the adverb “tremendously” in there just to make sure I emphatically understood. I reminded them I share many of the same features as Bradley: brown hair, scruff, two ears, teeth.
They wouldn’t listen. They had consensus in their wrongness.
This incident reminded me of some of the feedback elicited from my previous column(s). As people are wont to do, they disagreed with my position, attributing their opinion to the overrated activity called actually thinking about things.
I listened to their complaints while inserting my iPod headset and went about my day. It seemed that being wrong was gaining traction, and I wanted to hit the gym to ward off an infection of the virus.
As I’m running on the treadmill at the bunker AU calls a fitness center, I watched coverage of the Penn State scandal. Instead of sympathy and sadness directed toward the victims, it was heaped onto former head coach Joe Paterno. Students were sobbing over his firing and holding vigils for his return.
I was hoping to find some mention of the atrocities committed during his tenure and a call to justice, but this seemed as fruitful as logging onto Eaglesecure to print five minutes before class.
There was nothing about the children. It wasn’t about the victims. Unfortunately, that’s not terribly surprising.
What is surprising is the reluctance of people to change their minds when new information enters the equation. People are more apt to cling to their loyalty, allegiance and resolve than their discretion.
Despite allegations that Paterno didn’t contact authorities for something as heinous as child rape, fans ratcheted up their support.
Adoration of President Obama demonstrates another example of this resolute, willful blindness. Obama initially committed to (Democrat supported) public financing in his ascent to presidency only to change abruptly midstream. Democrat support didn’t waiver, instead they emptied their pockets.
After his victory over Sen. John McCain, the focus swapped to other failed campaign promises, like his inability to close Guantanamo Bay. Again, liberals pointed fingers elsewhere and backed their man.
Obama turned out to be neither a leader, nor a liberal. More of the same, not hope or change. Despite the magnitude and emergence of these “relevant facts,” Democrats still support him.
I wonder what would happen if he came out and stated, “Ladies and gentlemen, I’m here to announce my conversion to the Republican Party.” Democrats would probably host a fundraiser for him.
That’s what the Nobel Peace Prize Foundation did. (After all, drone missiles are so much more humane for Democrats.)
We should proudly reserve the right to change our minds. It’s not wrong to alter our perspectives when new information becomes available.
If Subway is completely out of bread, you don’t request Honey Oat. You eat salad and then storm back to your dorm and Rant about it. And when you find out you can’t Rant about it because the editors didn’t post the Rant box, you brood and listen to Coldplay or Sax-playing dude.
To paraphrase a commenter from one of my columns last year, “I used to enjoy reading Shapiro until he started criticizing the military. Now I think he should be waterboarded.” He/she changed their mind about me, and that’s totally cool. (Come back, I beg you, I’ll even let my editor waterboard me for charity).
Let’s think for ourselves and remain open to permitting new information to amend our opinions.
Here’s hoping People Magazine runs a retraction.
Conor Shapiro is a graduate student in the School of International Service.