Note: I created this as a PowerPoint presentation to show to my classes. We're discussing how to evaluate arguments and evidence.
@PrayForBoston
•In the hours after the Boston Marathon
bombing, the hashtag #prayforboston
was trending on Twitter. People used it to express their support and sympathy
toward the victims of the bombing.
•Also on Monday, a Twitter account with
the name @PrayForBoston
posted two photos that quickly started trending, as well.
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R.I.P. to the 8 year-old boy who died in
Boston's explosions, while running for the Sandy Hook kids. #prayforboston
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R.I.P. to the 8 year-old girl who died in
Boston's explosion, while running for the Sandy Hook kids. #prayforboston
•Each of the two photos were retweeted
tens of thousands of times.
•When I saw them, though, something seemed
off.
Finding Facts
•The Boston Marathon honored victims of
the Sandy Hook school shooting by dedicating each mile of the race to someone
who was killed (there were 26 Sandy Hook deaths; a marathon is 26.2 miles).
•A group of runners from Newtown, CT
(where Sandy Hook is located) participated in the Boston Marathon as a way of
honoring the victims.
•Reports confirmed that an 8-year-old died
as a result of the bombing. Identity was not immediately disclosed.
•The girl’s picture shows her wearing a
bib for the “Joe Kinsella 5K."
•Captions for both pictures assert that
the boy and girl were running in the Boston Marathon.
•Runners must post a qualifying time in a
previous marathon in order to qualify for Boston. (Most marathons are open to
the public.)
•The youngest qualifying age group is
18-34 years old. (Marathonguide.com)
•The Newtown runners announced on Facebook
that no one in their group had been injured, because “all runners completed the race before
the explosions.”
•A day later, Twitter had suspended the @PrayForBoston
account, as well as other similar accounts.
•Reports circulated that the 8-year-old
victim was named Martin Richard, and he was waiting for his father at the
finish line.
•The last detail was false: Martin’s
father did not run the race, but the family was gathered to watch at the finish
line.
•His mother and sister were also seriously
injured.
Rush to Retweet
•Imagine if you knew one of the kids in
those two pictures. How would you have reacted?
•What do you think motivated someone to
create and share those pictures?
•Why did they spread so quickly on the
internet?
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