Info deficit: Too many people are spending too little time listening to VIP facts

It should not surprise anyone that only a couple of people showed up for the Wayne County Health Department's evening meeting.

The event was set up, in part, to try to offer the community the chance to hear facts about health issues and their county firsthand.

Instead, the Board of Health members spoke to a sparse crowd -- and heard questions from one person who wanted more information on President Barack Obama's health care plan, while another wanted to talk about Goldsboro High School's potential effect on base realignment.

And it is sad, really, that so many people seem to be tuning out when it comes to decisions -- and information -- that could affect their lives.

We have already seen an example of the consequences that come from this kind of attitude at the federal level.

When you only half-listen to candidates, you get change you might not necessarily have believed in had you bothered to really pay attention.

And don't think that same sort of concern is out of the question at the local level, too.

Paying attention to what public bodies do and listening to the information they have about your community are critical to sound decision-making -- and knowing what danger signs to heed and which to ignore.

Health Department had some important statistics to share -- mostly about the ballooning rate of sexually transmitted diseases. Believe it or not, those are the types of facts, along with news about the local teen pregnancy rate, that really should matter to you as a citizen and as a parent.

More and more people are starting to see the need to be involved in their communities and to be a part of the decisions their leaders make.

To accomplish that goal, staying informed is Job 1.

Published in Editorials on April 22, 2010 11:03 AM