DAVE ROSS

Ross: Perhaps we could learn to control ourselves on social media

Oct 29, 2020, 6:08 AM | Updated: 9:09 am

social media...

Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey testifies remotely during a Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee hearing with big tech companies Oct. 28, 2020 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. The committee is discussing reforming Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. (Photo by Greg Nash-Pool/Getty Images)

(Photo by Greg Nash-Pool/Getty Images)

It happened at a VIRTUAL Senate committee hearing called by Republicans to complain that conservative voices are being censored on the internet.

The image of Senator Ted Cruz looked directly at the image of CEO Jack Dorsey and demanded to know: “Who the hell elected you?”

Very strange – Ted Cruz is a conservative who believes in capitalism; he must know that the idea of workers electing their supervisors is straight out of Karl Marx.

But then this whole issue is full of contradictions.

We want social media companies to protect us from outside interference in the election, to take down racist content, and yet here’s a senator – in the name of free speech – wanting to STOP Twitter from controlling its content.

But perhaps we could learn to control ourselves! For example, must we comment about EVERYTHING? Does every page have to feel like Yelp? Must we all be in search of the perfect takedown? Because it’s not working. The more we try to cancel each other out, the more complicated the equation gets.

When I got into broadcasting, you could choose the station – and how loud it was. That was it. Today, you can choose the station, the volume, the topic, the viewpoint, the font, the obscenity level, cookie acceptance … it’s a land of total freedom, where the police were defunded long ago … and yet, Utopia seems a long way off.

Listen to Seattle’s Morning News weekday mornings from 5 – 9 a.m. on Xվ Radio, 97.3 FM. Subscribe to the podcast here.

Dave's Commentary

Dave Ross on Xվ Newsradio 97.3 FM
  • to Xվ Newsradio weekdays at 5am for Dave Ross on Seattle's Morning News.

Dave Ross

Image: From left, Chris Sullivan, Dave Ross and Colleen O'Brien stand together in the Xվ Newsradi...

MyNorthwest Staff

Dave and Colleen’s final ‘SMN:’ Xվ colleagues, politicians say their goodbyes

"Seattle's Morning News" on Xվ Newsradio will soon have a new sound. On Thursday, Dave Ross and Colleen O'Brien will host their last show together after a decade of co-hosting.

7 months ago

Classical literature on bookshelves. (Photo by Richard Baker / In Pictures via Getty Images)...

Dave Ross

Dave Ross as you’ve never heard him before: ‘I like fat books and I can’t deny’

"This song, inspired by one of my first interviews when I started my talk show, which was Sir Mix-A-Lot," Dave Ross said.

7 months ago

national debt...

Dave Ross

‘Don’t cut a cent:’ Dave Ross on why the national debt never gets under control

The national debt now exceeds $36 trillion, and every president says it has to be under control. And yet, it never is.

7 months ago

voters hormone...

Dave Ross

Ross: Voters weren’t just voting for change, they were voting for a hormone

The more I read the post-election analysis, the more I’m convinced voters weren’t just voting for a change – they were voting for a hormone.

8 months ago

ross o'brien - Seattle's Morning News...

Frank Sumrall

Dave Ross, Colleen O’Brien departing after co-hosting ‘Seattle’s Morning News’ for a decade

Dave Ross and Colleen O'Brien, the co-hosts of "Seattle's Morning News" on Xվ Newsradio are both leaving the show.

8 months ago

election day...

Dave Ross

Dave Ross: Election Day and Decision Day are two separate things

Tomorrow is Election Day – that’s what the calendar says. But there are two problems with the term "Election Day."

8 months ago

Ross: Perhaps we could learn to control ourselves on social media