Source: Huffington Post
It's not surprising to learn that the Obama administration is consenting to or perhaps caving in to the demands of lawmakers to see the bin Laden death pictures. The release of the images was as inevitable as the posturing of those in power seeking to control this situation for political gain.
The Huffington Post, which was recenlty acquired by AOL for $315 million, has a fascinating way of collecting public opinion on the matter. Anyone familiar with scientific method, especially in the area of survey design, will recognize the Huffington Post's playful use of the Likert scale. The quantitative, or counting approach, system measures opinion in terms of aggreement. The Huffington Post goes a bit farther by turning public opinion into a farse. The only category they are missing is "none" of these silly catergories.
Some readers might be inclined to view this sort of story -- one that reports that Obama is letting lawmakers see the pictures -- as "typical." Others might say such news is "outrageous" or even "scary." It is highly doubtful, however, that anyone would find this news sort of "important" (other than the lawmakers) or even "beautiful" unless you spend too much time staring at computer screen.
The point being raised here is how can anyone take the Huffington Post seriously, if this news outlet cannot even take itself seriously?
What this suggests is that the Post is pandering to an audience by dumbing down the importance of the story. If the Huffington Post wants to pass itself off as a legimate news source, it may be best to consider the unintended consequences of poking fun at how they treat a story of this magnitude. Imagine the reaction of someone who has lost a loved one in the 9-11 attacks or those soldiers who have fought and are fighting in Afghanistan or Iraq. There is no category for "mortified." Vote if you will, but there is always a darker side to toying with the grief and hardship that has been imposed upon a nation.