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H. Humbert
SFN Die Hard
USA
4574 Posts |
 Posted - 08/14/2009 : 19:36:34
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I know that most of us here are used to reporters and the media pandering to the faithful by offering the most credulous accounts they can manage of the most straight-forward events. 15 car pile-up on the freeway? 7 dead, scores injured? Oh, but one woman on her way to church only suffered two broken legs? It's a miracle!
That sort of thing.
But this NY Daily News article struck me as particularly disingenuous. First, the title: "And then there was sight! 90-year-old gramps gets vision back."
Notice how it states in very plain language that a man's eyesight was (somehow) miraculously restored. Also note the biblical play of words on the opening lines of Genesis "And then there was light."
Now onto the opening paragraphs:Who turned on the lights?
After spending three years in the dark, a 90-year-old great-great-grandfather from Oregon who had been declared legally blind claims he's suddenly regained much of his sight.
"God never treated anybody as good as he's treated me," Marty Alvey told the Daily News, three days after his vision inexplicably returned.
"When I got out of bed this morning, I looked into the mirror, and I said, 'Hello there, Marty, nice to see you.'" |
Wow! Legally blind man regains much of his sight! God never treated anyone so good! Oh, wait. I notice a few weasel word in there. It was only "much" of his sight that returned, not all of it. And the man only claims to have regained it. Let's read on.
Alvey had given up reading and was forced to watch TV from a distance of 6 inches after being stricken with macular degeneration, which causes the loss of central vision.
Now the retired carpenter is hoping to go on sightseeing trips throughout the Northwest and possibly meet "a nice young gal, about 80 years old."
"I've been reborn," Alvey said, noting he can see clearly 5 feet ahead. |
He's been reborn! He's going on sightseeing trips! He's...wait a minute, wtf did that just say? His vision has only gone from 6 inches to 5 feet? 5 feet is now "much" of one's eyesight? It's a dramatic improvement, to be sure, but that's still well within the definition of legally blind. He's not going to be driving a car without being able to see past the hood ornament.
Still, I guess this modest improvement is noteworthy if it lacks an explanation. What does the paper report?| A pair of ophthalmologists examined Alvey's eyes two days ago and found no explanation for his improved vision. |
So this truly is a medical mystery. I can see now why an entire article was devoted to this man's story. But hold the phone...what's this tucked away at the bottom of the article?| "There are no anatomical changes within the eye to account for his subjective visual improvement," said Dr. Anthony Cirino, of Kaiser Permanente in Portland, noting that Alvey's performance on an eye exam showed no improvement. (emphasis mine) |
Fuck! Do you mean to tell me his eyesight didn't improve after all? Not even a little bit? Then why is this a god damned news story????
I'll tell you why. It's because the man couldn't stop singing god's praises. It's a miracle! I'm blessed! I'm reborn! God ain't never been so good to a man as me! You take out that simpering religious sentiment and there simply is no story here, and you have to read down to the end of the article to even discover that much. Pandering to the faithful? It doesn't get any more obvious and unsubstantial as this.
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"A man is his own easiest dupe, for what he wishes to be true he generally believes to be true." --Demosthenes
"The first principle is that you must not fool yourself - and you are the easiest person to fool." --Richard P. Feynman
"Face facts with dignity." --found inside a fortune cookie |
Edited by - H. Humbert on 08/14/2009 20:26:31
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R.Wreck
SFN Regular
USA
1191 Posts |
 Posted - 08/14/2009 : 20:11:59 [Permalink]
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| I think God is just fucking with the old guy. He's like that, you know. |
The foundation of morality is to . . . give up pretending to believe that for which there is no evidence, and repeating unintelligible propositions about things beyond the possibliities of knowledge.
T. H. Huxley
The Cattle Prod of Enlightened Compassion
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Dave W.
Info Junkie
USA
26020 Posts |
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H. Humbert
SFN Die Hard
USA
4574 Posts |
Posted - 08/14/2009 : 20:28:01 [Permalink]
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I wonder if I claim my eyesight has also remained unchanged but I blame god for it if the Daily News would publish my account. Anyone have any guesses?
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"A man is his own easiest dupe, for what he wishes to be true he generally believes to be true." --Demosthenes
"The first principle is that you must not fool yourself - and you are the easiest person to fool." --Richard P. Feynman
"Face facts with dignity." --found inside a fortune cookie |
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Man's eyesight unchanged, 'miracle' makes news
