Poor reporting generates hate along with misinformation

A little girl may have died. I care, even though I never knew her.

I also care about the grief and division caused by poor reporting and inappropriate reactions, so I did research on the story (And in the process found stories about so many deaths and abuses for all sorts of reasons – a 10 year old girl electrocuted, a mom shot in Houston, a post partum suicide…)

Then, there’s the condemnation and subsequent reactions, including against the “pro-birthers,” who evidently don’t care enough – or in the right way.

There is very little information about the girl or her circumstances of death. The initial report that she died in the ICE detention center at Dilley, Texas was wrong and subsequent stories simply repeat the history of the reporting.

Dilley is a family shelter, so the child may never have been separated from her mother. (ICE has stated that children under 5 years old weren’t routinely separated.)

In fact, the mother and child apparently left Dilley together: ” “AILA learned from a contact who was in touch with the family that the death occurred after the child and parent left Dilley. “”

The Washington Postfinally has a bit more. The AILA Lawyer says, “Gregory Z. Chen, director of government relations for the 15,000-member association, said in a statement. “We do not have information on the cause of death or information that confirms a connection between medical treatment at STFRC and this death.””

Now look at the posts generated on Twitter and Facebook after the rumor was posted, often with (unnecessary)) accusations about lack of compassion from Conservatives, even about pro-life – “pro-birthers” – people like me.

Yes, some people’s anger at illegal immigration has been exposed as actually hateful, but we wouldn’t have been exposed to it ourselves if not for that first, blaming post.

The hate multiplies as a result of the accusations and blame. Who knows what the result would have been from a post that merely grieved, without the accusations?

Let’s grieve together, not divided.

Edited for typos 12:20 PM BST. BBN