01-24-2013, 04:17 PM
They aren't conflicting "facts", they're different perspectives privileging their own ideologies. No system is perfect but if you have a resistant position, you will look only for flaws. Texts produced by people strongly in favour or strongly opposed to anything will never be objective (no text is absolutely objective but bias is much more when there's a high number of emotive, persuasive devices in use).
For example, a couple of years ago Pink was very vocally opposed to the practice of "mulesing" in Australian sheep. This is a surgical procedure that removes the wool-bearing skin from the behind of a sheep. To the ignorant, particularly those in foreign countries, it can appear cruel. Pink and her PETA friends launched a campaign urging people not to buy Australian wool products and it was quite damaging to the industry. She has since admitted, to her credit, that she was misinformed and should have researched before opening her mouth. Mulesing is recognised as best practice to protect sheep against flystrike, which is where flies lay their eggs close to the sheep's anus and when the maggots hatch, they eat into the flesh causing extreme agony, infection and often death. While it really should be done under anaesthesia and with pain relief, it isn't always -- but even still, a bit of pain as a once-off has got to be better than being devoured alive from the arse inwards.
The lesson is really just to accept that there is always more than one side to every story, and to keep your mind open to new possibilities.
For example, a couple of years ago Pink was very vocally opposed to the practice of "mulesing" in Australian sheep. This is a surgical procedure that removes the wool-bearing skin from the behind of a sheep. To the ignorant, particularly those in foreign countries, it can appear cruel. Pink and her PETA friends launched a campaign urging people not to buy Australian wool products and it was quite damaging to the industry. She has since admitted, to her credit, that she was misinformed and should have researched before opening her mouth. Mulesing is recognised as best practice to protect sheep against flystrike, which is where flies lay their eggs close to the sheep's anus and when the maggots hatch, they eat into the flesh causing extreme agony, infection and often death. While it really should be done under anaesthesia and with pain relief, it isn't always -- but even still, a bit of pain as a once-off has got to be better than being devoured alive from the arse inwards.
The lesson is really just to accept that there is always more than one side to every story, and to keep your mind open to new possibilities.
It could be worse