Response to "Fear and Loathing"

In the podcast of, “Fear and Loathing in Homer and Rockville”, it talks about whether immigration should be welcomed in Homer in Alaska. It is quite weird that people of Homer became controversial about immigration where there is no documented immigrants in the area. Ben, a person who was not interested in news or politics became aware of this issue just like everyone else. Unlike other citizens in Homer, Ben decided to do his own research. Ben wanted to be open-minded about this situation and wanted to look up information first before choosing sides. Ben would browse on the internet about immigration, immigration laws and other information regarding immigration. One site that was governed by the government really caught his eye. He had found information of numerous account of violence in Germany caused by immigrants. With this information, he found it credible because the resource came directly from the government. In conclusion, he decided to oppose immigration coming into Homer. The problem with Ben’s research is no matter how much information you find on the internet, how can you be for sure that the information provided is true? If the government are the ones who wrote it, are we supposed to believe it?

Some ways to make sure sources you can obtain yourself through interviews, experiments and surveys. That way, you are getting information straight from the source. Do not use sources that you have no idea where it is coming from. I think websites that end with edu., .gov, .org, have some type of credibility even though all information may not be true. Scientific journals are an example of reliable source. I believe that scientific journals are reliable because they can be tested numeral of times and are reviewed by experts.

I think people can discuss controversial issues without being biased. For example, Ben wanted to choose his side of immigration based on information and not based on his feelings. When he presented his claim to the council he presented facts and only facts. He did not ramble on how scared he was about immigrants coming to cause harm to him or his family.