Several years ago I was asked to do an exercise on speaking. I was in a journalism class. The class as one can imagine was full of young impressionable youth.

The class was covering public speaking and the power of words and responsible journalism. LOL, in today's terms a propaganda class with the teacher we had. Anyway the exercise was very simple and based on something we did in NCO school. With no given notice a student is called upon to give a 5 minute topic on any given subject that pops into the teachers head.

Well seeing how the teacher and I seemed to always bump heads. His being a very anti military and conservative, pro conspiracy theory mentality. I was assigned the topic of words. He thought that he could slip me up with such a broad and open topic that was vague in essences.

Much to his dismay I wowed the class. Although I admit the class needed some explanation on this topic and it turned into closer to thirty minutes then a five minute speech.

Being sure of myself and my capabilities I took the podium and looked the class over. Several were trying to pretend to be interested in articles on their desk as they slept. Some were texting their friends or each other. I am not sure. The one thing I did know and was sure of was that this group of mush minds needed a dose of reality and the power of what their words and the consequences were.

I slammed my hand down on the wooded podium and began.

"Extra, extra! breaking coverage. Pictures of John Doe in the park doing things with a dog" I said. Of coarse I used a students name instead of John Doe. This got the attention quick of my class.

"John Doe was captured on film yesterday with a dog in Civic Park. The pictures clearly show Mr. Doe was over friendly with the puppy as the puppy was not a happy camper with what was being done to it." see the connotation I was trying to create. The illusion of perhaps a little bestiality may have been going on.

As sure as the sun comes up in the morning, several of the student s looked awkwardly at the student mentioned and one of the young ladies turned a little pale. In less then a paragraph I had the class turning against him. He could feel the heat on the back of his neck as well. Sitting up straighter and giving the class a look of "what, its not true" expressions I continued.

Having the classes full attention now I began to lay it on thicker and heavier. "John Doe was soon captured with a second adult male. This adult seemed to rather enjoy the discomfort being placed on the poor puppy. Graphic pictures capture the second adult ( I then used the teachers name. He was a local sports reporter for the FOX news team. A smuck in reality and one that never should have been teaching in the first place. But I digress and will not go further into his bias.)

"Photographs clearly show that several toys were involved in the abuse of the poor puppy. Toys that perverted may adorn that of an adult shop on south Sante Fe, or east Colfax." Looking disgusted at our student friend I invoked nonverbal communication to the class of he is a pervert.

Now having the class visibly moving in their chairs , some to try and gain a little distance between them and the poor guy I was smearing and others simple because others were doing it.

Watching the clock above the door I continued to exaggerate on events that were mythical and not real at all. Eluding always as to some disgusting act that happened. In no time at all my five minutes were up and I went to step down. Now the teacher having been smeared as well stood and demanded a retraction of what I said, or at least a clarification of this imagined story.

Knowing full well that I was going to exceed my five minute time limit and that I would not get a good grade anyways. I looked at the class and asked a simple question.

" Class" , I said, "what do you think the pictures were actually of ?"

The answers were predictable and laughable. So many of these impressionable minds jumped to the conclusion that their fellow classmate was a sick and perverted individual who should never be allowed to have a pet and banned from ever having children. All wrongful conclusions

Now came the truth of the story. Yes the story i reported was based on my fellow classmates talk not more then twenty minutes prior to my talk. He has stood before the class and talked about taking his new puppy to the park. He played with him for a while. Throeing a Frisbee and ball getting the puppy all excited and worn out a little bit. Then he had gone on to talk about this method to tire the dog out before he went into obedience training of the puppy. Something he did for a living. Using a lease and voice inflection on the puppy to teach him to heal, and sit, and basic commands.

A light bulb came on above the teachers head and a crooked smile parched his smug face. He now saw where I was going. Using a technique he was familiar with in putting bias on a story and misleading the viewers or readers as to the truth of what happened.

I further explained to the class that the story was all true and based upon what John Doe had told us earlier. That yes he was in the park with a puppy. That yes the teacher had bumped into him while out and about.

The toys used are nothing disgusting and perverted as the stores I was referring to were REI and a pet shop I knew of. Although there are adult sex oriented stores on both previous mentioned streets these other store are there as well. By omitting the names the class simply assumed it was the sex stores.

I then broke down John Does story bit by bit, untwisting the spin and letting the class see how in reality the story was in no way about the abuse of a puppy. That the story was just a spin on the truth leading to wrongful conclusions on their part.

Yes the puppy was discomforted with the leash during his obedience training. Yes the puppy played with adult toys , but the toys are also played with by children. A Frisbee, a tennis ball, and a sock for tug-o-war with the puppy.

With the truth being reveled and no spin added the class eased on the tension being projected upon their fellow student. Our teacher on the other hand was now projecting major hatred for me and well that would stay for the duration of the semester.

Why, my readers did I bring this up. It seems to have no relation as to anything I have written. Well it does in actuality. Look at the smear that is now being done on Gov. Sarah Palin. half truths and innuendo spun into stories that shed a tainted light upon the republican ticket. By not referencing the full story lies and smears are spreading like wildfire and being believed by not just youth but liberal mush minds. Repeated by those who believe everything they read on the Daily Kos, or other far left and MSM outlets.

The latest being a story of banning books. Books that were not even published when the said list of banned books was created. No reference or interview of said librarian and what really happened. No reference to the full story printed in an Alaskan paper that shows the list was only rumor and not valid at all.

This is relevant to the McCain campaign in that he does not represent four more years of Bush policies. Another falsehood that has no fact. The only truth in it is that both Bush and McCain are republicans.

Stories on the news and Internet expounding fictional experience of Barack Obama. Experience that does not exist. But when looked at on a resume without inspection appear nice and mislead. No explanation that being a Senator is not the same as being a Mayor or a Governor. Responsibilities and demands of the job are not even close.

The furthering of an illusion that if a senator puts his name to a bill as a cosponsor he had something to do with the proposal and writing of said bill. When in reality this is far from the truth on 99% of the bills sent to the floor of the House or Senate.

The best example I can produce to date is the US magazine fiasco. Where a completely misleading cover and title, with a failed in fact story is claimed by the editors at US to expose lies fails in doing so. Now that it has been exposed as a hit job. One that was designed to use words as a weapon against Sarah Palin. To mislead readers as to the true nature of what was happening.

Words are a powerful weapon. Being used and aligned into sentences that portray a different picture then the actual event. In an election year is this really any thing new? Absolutely not! However in this election year is this weapon being delivered more frequently and with a harsher result. Yes by far!

When one reads a new story about candidates the reader needs to look at the source. Confirm the source then as a good reporter or what any reporter should do. Find a second and third source to confirm the story. To do this one needs to go beyond their local reading of either left or right wing news outlets and definitely other sources besides the MSM. Get a version of both sides of the story. Compare the facts that appear on both sides and then form their own opinion of said story.