Character Assassination

I am just glad it was not me!
Australian Story did a story about a guy who was accused of something he did not do.  It took him years to clear his name and the cost was horrendous.  As someone said to me last night, “mud sticks”
We are fed stories where we are supposed to love someone or hate them.  Actually that is my choice, but I need all the facts before I can make a decision.  To me, it is the whole “innocent until proven guilty” scenario.
Certainly there are, and, to me should be, penalties we have decided on for wrong doing, and they need to be imposed.  All actions should have consequences. Unfortunately some folk seem to get away with so much.  But as the saying goes “their day will come” and “they will have their day in court.”  To me Mugabe is a case in point.  Also war criminals that flee to places like Argentina, and take on a new name and persona.  Beyond that, and it is possibly just as well, judgement is not in my hands.
I will love someone if I choose to, but hate is a very strong word.  I need all the facts before I can make a decision and even then I will hate no one.  Certainly I can disagree big time with what they do, but I don’t know it is for me to judge someone that harshly.  After all “there but for the grace of God” go any of us.  I cannot take credit for not being born that person or growing up in their environment.  Actions cannot be excused, but attempts can be made to understand.
One thing I loved about the boss where I worked.  No matter what they were told, they would not make a decision until they had heard from all sides.
That sort of stance can make someone very unpopular.  It is easy to be popular, and hard to make decisions which makes a person unpopular in the short term.  Fortunately many unpopular decisions are made for the long term good.
I had a family member telling me about something that sounded like a real injustice.  I heard them out and empathised with them, but I would not agree with their conclusion until I had heard the other side.  It is interesting to me that that person railed to me against someone and when I told them the reason I would not “sight unseen” agree with them, they forlornly told me of a situation they knew of where that happened (ie an accusation that proved to be unfounded that cost heaps).
That is definitely not typical.  So often people tell a story in the expectation that those listening will get on board with their cause – if only till they leave anyway.  More often than not people get on board and when they do not, the speaker is incredulous.
Often decisions need to be made instantaneously and they are, but to me character assassination is a big deal.  It should not be done on a whim.