Homewood Nation

On Wednesday, I met with about 30 other people to spend the entire day talking about Homewood's possibilities, problems and potential solutions. Early in the day, the discussion leader singled me out and asked me something like "What do you see as the biggest problem?"

I didn't talk about crime, and I didn't talk about blight. I talked about communication. I said that Homewood is a "broken information ecosystem," in which too much of the information available to residents consists of rumor, innuendo, assumptions and bad memories.

I could have offered this flyer, which I picked up Tuesday at the Homewood Carnegie Library, as Exhibit A:  

This flyer exemplifies Homewood's communication problem. Here's why:

1. It makes assertions without any evidence to back them up. It provides no reason to believe that what it says is true.
2. The assertions are all negative in character.
3. It does not tell you who is behind it. You, as a reader, have no way to question them, or to compliment them, or to offer them your side of this story.

Even if what the flyer says is true, the flyer gives you no reason to believe that it is true. Therefore, the only reason for someone to believe it, is because they want to - say, someone who already has a personal dislike for Rashad Byrdsong. For such a person, the flyer validates what they already think and feel, without providing trustworthy information.

That is destructive communication, it stunts our growth as a community.

Don't hear what I am not saying. I am not saying that what the flyer says is false - or true. I am saying that the flyer gives you no reason to believe that it is true. I am saying that some people will believe that it is true, simply because they want to. And I am saying that the perpetual validation of assumptions with information that may be false is bad. Extremely bad.

I will get back to you on the question of whether or not there is a deal between S&A and CEA. When I do, it will be with information from the sources. And you will know how to contact me to respond.

What do you think about the flyer? Am I making good points, or am I off my rocker?