Today a perfect example of right wing media scare tactics appears on Drudge. Currently this is his big story:

And when you read it you quickly think “there goes Obama and his power grab ignoring state sovereignty and even the birth of our nation”. Of course if you actually read the article, this is what you see:

An Oregon town has reportedly canceled its annual fireworks show out of concern the Fourth of July pyrotechnics will scare sea birds roosting nearby.

Town officials in Depoe Bay have announced the cancellation of the annual pre-Independence Day fireworks show on July 3 following pressure from federal wildlife managers who said the noise disrupts sea birds in the area, the Oregonian reports.

The federal government did ask them to not have the show, and even put some pressure on them, but they didn’t cause them to cancel it. Instead the town took it upon themselves.

But that won’t stop the people on the right from yelling and screaming that this is all Obama’s fault. It will become another conspiracy that we might even hear on the campaign trail. This is the reason our political discourse is so viral today. We have a simple ignorance of facts and only respond to hysteria. One of the greatest creators of that hysteria is Matt Drudge and he gets the attention to do it.

Maybe Americans should celebrate this Independence Day by breaking free of the shackles of misinformation and take a bit of time to become better informed. Look for the facts and ignore the hyperbole. Click on the links and don’t judge by just the headlines. You’ll be amazed at what you really find out.