Building trust in today’s culture
Editor:
“How can I trust you?” is a question that should lead others to consider every source of information. More often, individuals rely on social media and articles in mainstream media. But how does one know if something is true or merely a high-emotion based outburst fueled by false information? This is a challenge entrepreneurs and business owners face today.
Type an opinion into a search bar, and one will find affirmation to an opinion. Take an opportunity to search “Mother Teresa was good,” and one is bound to find as many results to “Mother Teresa was bad.” While every person has their faults, some opinions of others sit on a false foundation. However, this is proof that if one always looks for negativity, they’ll fail to see the good. In the same respect, if one constantly looks for the good in something, they’ll fail to acknowledge the danger signs.
This is more common as the world is filled with a 24-hour news stream of bad news. News channels thrive on arrests, drug busts, and car accidents. Scroll through social media, and one will acknowledge a post of outrage over egg prices more than they’ll engage with a recent celebration. The general public lives for negative reviews because at the end of the day, bad news sells.
This mindset presents difficulty for small business owners. Products and companies are cancelled with one negative review on social media. Reviews travel faster than ever before, and they leave little time for a company to respond with their own statement. If it’s the fault of one bad apple, the whole bushel, in this case the small business owner, is tossed into the garbage. This highly effects the business owner, as it causes a disruption in their sales and schedule, and ultimately, detriments their livelihood.
As a community, we should consider the source and be open minded to mindsets outside of our own. We should ask ourselves frequently, “where is the information coming from?” Is it from a stranger online, or is it coming from a close confidant? Has it been researched? If so, by whom? Is the researcher gaining any monetary compensation or have an agenda? Why is this person sharing the information? Being raised in the growth of the digital age, I frequently say, “my mom was right,” when she told me, “don’t trust everything you see online.” This is especially true when one’s negative review of a product typically ends with a promotion encouraging purchase of their product instead.
Merriam-Webster defines trust as an assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone or something. Where do you put your trust? Do you put in the small business owner who you’ve known for years? Or do you place it in the Facebook post of an individual you’ve never met? In today’s environment, it’s even more important to remember to support your people, love them well, and always consider the source.
Kayla Ratliff
Gardnerville
Need to raise gas tax
Editor:
Kurt, you were spot on in your editorial about room tax money brought to Douglas County by tourism. With that said why do we not have an additional gas tax for our roads with so much potential income generated by the cars passing through and filling their gas tanks. We all agree our roads are in need of work and this additional tourism money could be used to our benefit. Hopefully our commissioners will step up and do the right thing for the county and not think about how it would affect the next election.
Kathi Hussman
Gardnerville
Editor’s Note: Douglas County voters voted against imposing the nickel diesel tax in 2020.
Daylight Saving Time must go
Editor:
I am writing to voice my frustration with Daylight Saving time, a practice that has outlived its usefulness and continues to cause unnecessary inconvenience. Twice a year, we disrupt our lives by shifting our clocks, creating confusion, disturbing sleep patterns, and impacting health and productivity. All for what? The original rationale for DST — energy savings — is no longer relevant in our modern, energy-efficient world.
Studies have shown that the negative effects on physical and mental health far outweigh any perceived benefits. From increased rates of heart attacks and car accidents to lost productivity, the cost of DST is too high. Furthermore, many nations and several U.S. states have already abolished it, proving that life goes on just fine without this outdated tradition.
It’s time for us to join the growing movement and put an end to this biannual madness. Let us adopt a standard time year-round and stop pretending that tinkering with the clock somehow gives us more daylight. It’s a simple change that would benefit everyone.
Tami Lyon
Minden
Elegy for Elon
Editor:
The following may be sung to the tune of “My Old Kentucky Home.”
Hey, Elon Musk,
You got Mars rocks in your head
To make so horrible a play,
Of gutting civil service,
Which will leave people dead;
None of what you’re doing is OK.
Take your Tesla meme stock,
Your Nazi salute,
And your oligarch’s way,
All your 14 children
And chainsaw to boot,
And give us back the USA.
B. K. Williams
Genoa