An observation from a Nigerian tragedy

Apparently Nigerian soldiers have killed civilians.  That, of course, is a tragedy and should be treated as such.  Normally, such an event, tragic though it is, doesn’t fall within the scope of my overall emphasis, so I wouldn’t post a story like this.  There isn’t really a ‘down with America’, or ‘Christianity sucks’ or ‘the Catholic Church is evil’ spin being put on the actual killings. 

But then I just glanced down at the comments.  When I did, I suddenly reflected on the whole ‘Internet makes you smarter’ spiel that is all the rage nowadays.  If it makes us smarter, then those who have been so elevated must have refrained from commenting on this story.  Look at the comments.  One particular comment jumped out at me.  Sometimes I wonder if, in the anonymous ‘say what I would never say face to face’ world of the Internet if this fellow is real, or a fellow faking an identity to make a viewpoint he disagrees with look bad:

“Let them fight. Population control. Also less undesirable 3rd world immigrants moving to civilized nations.”

The commenter labels himself ‘conservative’.  So, is he really?  Does someone really think that?  Or is he trying to make the ‘other side’ look bad?  If it is just a ploy, then obviously it sheds light on one of the problems of the Internet: the dehumanizing anonymity behind it all.  If not, it sure demonstrates that, no Virginia, the Internet does not make us smarter.  Either way it’s food for thought, and perhaps a good enough reason to stop assuming that with the Internet necessarily comes salvation.