I am not a big Facebook fan, or a fan of any kind of social media.
My reasoning is simple, social media causes too many problems. It opens the door for people to say things they don’t have to stand behind and those things can disappear as quickly as they appear. There is no responsibility attached to anything said in this social world.
This rubs me the wrong way because it is exactly the opposite of what we do at The News Observer every week. We hunt down the facts – the truth – print the story and let the chips fall where they may. It’s there for all to see – forever.
I often tell people “knowing” something and “proving” it are two different things and we don’t print it until we can prove it.
So I stay away from Facebook, etc., but Friday morning, August 30, brought an exception.
A home invasion in McCaysville that ended when the suspect was shot by an officer had questions flying all over the county. Most of those questions had a common theme: “Is everybody okay?”
Thankfully, I was able to get enough official information to let the public know what was happening. The hostages were alive and none of the officers had been injured. So brief information was posted on the newspaper’s Facebook page with a link to the full story on our website, www.thenewsobserver.com. Every possible avenue was used to get the word to our readers.
In about three hours, the story had been viewed by nearly 5,000 people. The fact it had a lot of interest didn’t surprise me, but the number was a bit overwhelming. At last count, 21,190 people had been reached by the initial report.
When things calmed down, I decided to do what I never do, read some of the comments connected to the story. Comments are usually what I detest most because this is where the craziness flourishes.
But this time was different. Somewhere over 100 comments had been received when I started scrolling through. Every one I read was in support of the officers except one in which the writer couldn’t believe such an incident had happened in the quiet little village of McCaysville.
The comments recognized the jobs the officers do and the fact that at any given time they have to put their own lives in danger to protect others.
People readily admitted that we are no longer immune to the horrific situations that were once only big city news. We used to say “it” can’t happen here. The realization is that “it” can and does happen here.
Only law enforcement officers stand between triumph and tragedy.
Had it not been for the professionalism the McCaysville officers and others displayed, the situation could have gone terribly wrong.
As one person wrote, and I agree, such situations as these usually don’t end up the way this one did: on a positive note with everyone coming out alive.
Facebook had generated an outcome I never expected to see. The forum it helped generate gave credit where credit was due.
Keep the reaction going. The next time you see one of our local law enforcement officers, do the same. Say thanks. They deserve it.
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Glenn Harbison is publisher/editor of The News Observer. He can be reached at 706-632-2019 or by email at glenn@thenewsobserver.com.