Wow, here’s a number that got my attention: 39,105
That’s how many comments there are so far on an AP story entitled “Illegal immigrant law opponents to rally in Ariz.” And the story’s only been up since late yesterday. (I first started reading the comments late last night.)
I browse the Internet a lot and often comment on topics of interest that allow comments. More obscure topics might have a few comments. Current news topics might get a few dozen to several hundred comments. Pundits on cable TV who solicit comments — Jack Cafferty, for example — might get a few thousand, max, on a really juicy question, although he does cut off comment after a certain period of time.
But more than 39,000 unsolicited comments on a single news story is truly astounding. Pro and con comments. Comments on the comments. Angry, hasty, ignorant comments. Long, thoughtful, reasoned comments. If you’ve any interest at all in the subject, it’s interesting reading — or at least browsing.
If any legislator wants to know what Americans are thinking about illegal immigration, this would be a good place to start.
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The total jumped to 39,359 in the time it took to write this post.
It’s now an hour later, and the total has topped 40,000.
April 27: The story continues to be updated, with a different headline each time, but the comments keep coming without the count being restarted.
Thanks a lot. Wow
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Amazing, isn’t it? Probably a more accurate cross-section of public opinion than any poll some pollster could devise.
I resisted the impulse to add another post on Yahoo mainly because I read many of those already there. My opinion on the matter is so far afield for so many reasons, I couldn’t see trying to focus on only one point of contention. Our constitution and the arguments for and against it’s ratification (the Federalist and Anti-Federalist Papers) must not be a required subject at any level of education. My take is that the collective ignorance on display there is sad comment on our education system — at the very least. It’s just sad.
As usual, the topics you select are worthy of our attention. Thanks for bringing this up.
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I’ve always contended that a good education is fundamental to … everything.