I am not necessarily saying I disagree. Those conclusions I listed are NOT fact, they are your opinion based on the facts you pulled out of the media pool. I am saying that I would never feel confident enough to make a statement about someone being incompetent based of media opinions. I would state it as my thought or opinion, and make a disclaimer that my opinion is based on what I have heard. I don’t believe anyone should ever hear pieces of a story, even many pieces, and then turn around and say definitively, “that man was incompetent”. How would you know for sure? And why do you believe that you have enough information to make such statements? I am not asking this of you, per se, I am saying that it is that attitude that I am objecting to.
Another example – I spoke to someone who “knows” that a certain rav picks and chooses who gets food on their table. They told me that they had all the facts about someone who went to the rav for money and was turned down. They knew the person well and they know it happened. They may even have been with the person when he asked for money. The were so confident because they “knew” all the facts. And they felt VERY free to shout it from the soapbox.
What I knew was that this poor person had been day trading. He had taken the money the rav gave him for his bills and lost it all. He lost his mortgage and maxed his credit cards. The rav told him he needed to go for help before he could get more help with his bills. This friend will NEVER know those pieces and will forever be touting the evils of this rav who let someone go hungry (going on 20 years now, he still brings it up)
My point is, you DON’T have all the facts, and a Jew should ALWAYS keep in mind the fact that he NEVER should feel so confident that he can can condemn a man, any man, not even a random police officer. We just don’t know the truth.