Cherry-Picking

       I read two articles online about cherry picking. They were "Deltoid, Tim Lambert's Webblog"   and " The Cherry Pick" by Roger Pielke, Jr. I also found quite a few entrys about fruit orchards, I'll go back and read these at another time. Both of these articles leaned to the left a bit but the subject matter was the same whether they were leaning any way, or even hanging upside down. Everyone cherry picks. Everyone. These articles even did it. I'm doing it now. I believe even when you think you are trying to present information in a balanced and even manner,you still cherry pick. I think it is very hard not to because it is second nature to want to  prove our point of view.According to Pielke cherry picking is defined as "the careful selection of information to buttress a particular predetermined perspective while ignoring other information that does not." That defines cherry picking for me.

        Lambert's blogs are mainly about John Lott and his stands on gun control. He speaks of Lott's choices of information and surveys to support his stand and ignoring what does not fit. He also tells us that Lott abandons some of his earlier choices of information when they do not fit what he is saying in favor of others. Lambert seemed to have the opposite views of Lott so I am sure he cherry picked his information also and only provided quotes and data that fit his agenda.

       I guess what we need to do when we want information about anything is to investigate it for ourselves and not accept anything on the surface.