I came across a news entry on my mobile Earthlink reference off my Palm today that was dated May 17th from Bogota, Columbia. It states in part that malicious gossip often results in tears and anger but in Columbia it has led to murder and according to the article, officials there are fed up with the people targeted by the false rumors turning up dead or wrongfully arrested. The article goes on to say that a small Columbian community has made gossip a crime punishable by up to four years in prison. In part, the new law states “Human beings must be aware and recognize that having a tongue and using it to do bad is the same as having dynamite in their mouths.”
All I can say is amen to that.
The decree was issued last year in the community of Icononzo, 40 miles southwest of the capitol, Bogota. The mayor insists that in a country as violent as Columbia, gossiping can have deadly results. The Associated Press interviewed the mayor by telephone on Monday the 16th according to the posting. The mayor indicated that often the residents of the community of 11,500 people will leave home early and lock themselves in their homes for fear of some unfounded rumor that was spread around town earlier in the day. The fine is severe: up to $150,000 for spreading false rumors…or even jail. The story says so far no one has been arrested but they think it has made people think about what they say before they say it. City officials indicated that sooner or later someone will get caught.
The story caught my attention because of a couple of recent incidents that I’ve witnessed. On two separate occasions this week, I’ve been told something that someone “heard” from “someone.” In both cases, when pressed about who “someone” was, the matter went no further. A metro school district was forced to close recently when they received threatening letters in the mail. The list goes on.
I sometimes receive calls from local news reporters citing sources who have provided them with juicy bits of information about suspected activities that the police are somehow hiding from the public or refusing to deal with. Generally, I can tell by the reported “activity” who the source was by the nature of trying to draw attention to a single person issue.
Ah.. the benefits of living in a smaller community.
If you can’t stand up and speak for yourself, shame on you for using up the time of newspeople and public officials for your dark deeds. I’m not talking about legitimate concerns, but just attempts on the part of an individual or several individuals to try to get others in trouble or embarrass them for no other reason than the fact someone takes delight in watching them squirm I guess or to further their own self-serving agenda.
I’m in the business of measuring public perception toward our police staff. Community input is vital for me to gauge how we are doing. The baseless rumors of someone’s ego, imagination, or downright vindictiveness really makes my job of sorting out the fact from fiction a challenge.
You would be surprised at the amount of the reports between individuals we investigate that turn out to be baseless rumors or gossip. It’s costly, time consuming and it usually devastates the victim. So the next time you participate in coffee table commentary, water cooler collusion or involve yourself in other types of negative social interaction, demand the same standards we expect of our journalists….factual basis and reliable sources. Do your part to hold others to the truth. Don’t be afraid to challenge unsubstantiated statements purporting to be factual. Have the integrity to stand up and demand the truth. To parapharse a memorable TV commercial line…maybe we should demand…”Where’s the Source!!”
The same principles apply in the workplace. I’ve learned to confront rumors immediately and stop them before they do any damage. It’s important to hold people accountable. In a business where our credibility and honesty are the tools of the trade, it’s absolutely necessary to keep rumors and vicious personal attacks in the circular file. I certainly encourage our citizens to bring any such concerns associated with our department or the community to my attention. I’d much rather address gossip or rumors before they get out of hand. You would be amazed at the number of individuals who feel justified in smearing the reputation of a public official or coworker who performed their job flawlessly and honestly simply for doing their job and stating the truth.
Yesterday, I referenced the issues of civility. I believe that those same principles certainly apply when it comes to this topic. Attempts to somehow seek revenge or damage a person through gossip and such vile behavior certainly does not exude a persona of civility. Innuendo at public meetings and in public venues are just as malicious and do a disservice to the entire community. Hopefully civility will continue to prevail. For those who fail to heed the call, it would be a shame if we had to follow the lead of our Columbian friends to legislate consequences for gossip.