Stop asking all those ‘stupid’ questions

It’s time we recognize that “stupid” questions serve no constructive purpose in enhancing communication when the intent is incendiary.

The media is notorious for asking loaded questions to blame or get a rise out of someone. Does the media ask what we know about the Chinese balloon? No, they ask why are we letting a Chinese spy balloon invade our airspace.

Did Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ rebuttal to President Joe Biden’s State of the Union speech consist of any factual counterpoint? No, her opening question was, “Why should our children have to learn about slavery?”

That’s a “stupid” question. Politicians and the media aren’t seeking factual information to logically educate their audiences. They’re looking for an angle in hopes of getting people angry or belittling another person’s actions.

Citizens at public meetings are replicating that same aggressive style, as evidenced by the exchange at the Troy City Council meeting when one Troy resident’s question implied that Mayor Patrick Madden’s approach was to let the maximum number of children get lead poisoning before fixing the water pipes.

Of course there’s frustration. Who isn’t frustrated by something these days, whether it’s the slow arc of justice in our courts, the lingering inflationary impacts of COVID-19, or extremist right-wing factions creating congressional chaos?

Alleviating frustration only begins when media and politicians educate people about complex issues by sharing factually detailed perspectives and citizens are open to intellectual understanding rather than emotional reactions. Asking “stupid” questions does nothing to rebuild trust or enhance productive communication in our nation.

Martha Hodges

Massena