Falling for the eclipse conspiracy

Welcome to our special edition of Eclipse Monday!

I gave great thought to today’s subject, considering I won’t be able to get a second bite for 20 years. 

See, I bought a pair of $3 eclipse protective eyewear from Lowe’s so I can glance at the sun during the eclipse without damaging my eyes.

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The people whose job it is to warn of unseen dangers are reminding us not to look at the sun during the three-hour partial eclipse.

That would seem, um, obvious to most people, right? Well, once upon a time I believed most people had common sense, these days, not so sure. We have conspiracy theories about everything. You can almost bet someone will stare at the eclipse without special protective eyewear believing the whole warning was a hoax floated by the Biden administration.

(Please, please, please…no one from Citrus County, OK?)

Still, I get it. Tell someone not to do something that seems OK to do and, well, these things happen. It’s usually no issue not to stare at the sun. I rarely have the urge. When it’s partially blocked by the moon? Well, I wanna take a peek.

The Citrus County School District is keeping kids and activities inside during the eclipse and telling bus drivers to remind kids on the way home not to look directly at the sun (here’s info about what to expect in Inverness).

I followed those warnings as a kid, terrified of being held to ridicule all my life as the dumb kid who lost his sight staring at a solar eclipse.

So, because I can get a blog out of anything, I present…other things that seem innocent, but can cause damage if we let it:

— Fake politics. I read that China has people pose as good ‘ol Americans, posting fake accounts on social media with all sorts of political gunk. The Russians supposedly are pros at this.

Their motives don’t concern me. What concerns me is that this works. People are really that gullible.

Some Just Wright Citrus friends with technology expertise far exceeding mine, have pointed out to me fake people jumping into our Facebook debates, particularly if it concerns certain politicians. I don't think it happens all that often though I blocked two or three of these fakers myself.

My point: Watch out for that stuff this political season. Make sure to trust the source. Don’t be fooled.

(I know we all have our opinions about the Mainstream Media. But guess what, if the biggies aren’t covering it, there’s a good chance it’s nonsense. Just sayin’.)

—Sometimes, we whirl ourselves into a frenzy and start thinking the local decision-makers have lost touch. It’s so easy to be sucked into the negativity.

Retired publisher Gerry Mulligan, in his weekly Chronicle column, would every so often remind us that leaders really have their fingers on the pulse. He’d zero in on issues, of course, but wanted residents to know the overall health of the county was quite good.

I mention this because that’s exactly what chamber president Josh Wooten did in a Weekend Chronicle column. As a former commissioner, he offers rare insight.

Josh’s column reminded me not to get choked by the weeds.

— Indifference. This is huge. Seriously. Please don’t for a moment think your opinion, and vote, doesn’t count. It counts this year more than ever.

That means caring about the process, the candidates, and the issues. It means paying attention. And being courteous because your neighbor has as much right to his/her opinion as you do to yours.

This is no time for indifference. Negativity feeds indifference. Gives people a “who cares” attitude.

Let’s not allow indifference to block us from our role. I care a great deal about this community. You may disagree with the opinion, but not my commitment. Many people feel the same way.

That’s it for our special Eclipse Monday edition. I’ll be around Headquarters all afternoon, not staring at the sun.

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