my freedom, my business

Sometimes I feel I should write more on current issues - those that are determining the course of our nation or even lesser ones affecting any significant chunk of our huge populace. I read my newspaper, watch my news and pay my attention. I can claim, to a reasonable degree, to be abreast of whats happening around.

I hear all kinds of people - friends, colleagues, even strangers on TV - having clear opininons on a plethora of issues. Then you have the Internet: treasure-trove of all kinds of views in black and white (soft copy actually). People havent suddenly become current affairs savvy or plain socio- politically aware. Yet there is a sudden surge of opinions.

How much of this posturing, especially in forums like TV and net, is backed by hard facts? Its ok to speak your mind before friends and not worry about how logical or practical you sound. But when taking the opportunity to express where millions read/hear you there should be some apprehension. Which should drive you to know your facts before you speak out. On the net you find people (with anonymous names at times) who argue rabidly without making matters clear a bit. Where there should've been a fruitful exchange of ideas there occurs promotion of half baked facts and unhealthily biased views. I am not talking about political correctness. Its another thing altogether. I am hinting at 2 things:

(1)speaking on very important subjects without doing their homework and

(2)being opinionated instead of having an opininon.

Some will say who has the time to work on his blog (for example) on a controversial topic (thats a big reason why its controversial in the first place - mouths working faster than minds) Well then is it worth posting? People usually just blurt out second/third/multi hand information safely assuming that reflects the mood of the masses. Like stories that have been passed across generations with a new interpretation at each passing of the baton what we read or hear is a twisting of truth at different junctures, giving it a distinct hue suited to vested needs.

Freedom of expression comes with a few caveats. It's not an inevitable excuse you resort to whenever you are asked to explain yourself.

P.S : By expressing myself this way I'm liable to be labelled the moral policeman/purist and I'm also putting serious constraints on what subjects I can post on. But what the heck! If fingers are pointed at me, or brickbats thrown, I expect to get away with freedom of expression, right to voice my opinion and other tactically put variants.