Sitting with a friend over coffee, something suddenly became clear to me.
Maybe it was the coffee.
Maybe it was the friend.
Maybe it was a side effect from the flu shot I got yesterday.
Either way, it felt like an epiphany.
As a former printer’s assistant, I’ve always respected the craft of Gutenberg.
Before his revolution, knowledge was gained only under very difficult conditions.
The “Dark Ages” didn’t refer to a lack of sunlight.
It was the darkness of restricted knowledge.
And the Renaissance? It wasn’t just about painting and sculpture—
it was the rebirth of learning.
After Gutenberg, knowledge began to spread.
Fast, even by modern standards.
The gatekeepers lost control.
Monks no longer held the keys—printers and presses did.
And the change was exponential.
Books in Latin doubled, tripled, quadrupled in circulation.
Then came the vernacular.
Books in common languages ignited a massive explosion in literacy and access.
But not everything got printed.
Publishing houses developed reputations.
They vetted manuscripts. They edited. They decided.
Printing was still expensive. It had to be worth it.
This system—call it curated knowledge—lasted until the mid-1990s.
Rejection letters became part of the national mythos.
Famous books, turned down dozens of times.
Not anymore.
Today, any thought, idea, or story can be shared instantly.
No vetting. No editing. No gatekeepers.
All you need is a smartphone and a wifi signal.
Knowledge expands at the speed of light.
But is it true?
For most of history, we were shaped by our families.
Then by what we read.
Now, we’re shaped by what we consume—
streams, links, retweets, posts.
Not all of it vetted.
Not all of it real.
What happens when knowledge expands without regard for truth—or consequences?
I think that’s what our current culture reflects.
And I weep.
Still, I like that phrase:
“Truth and Consequences.”
Maybe it’s time we’re held accountable—
not just for our speech,
but for what we share.
Freedom of expression must remain.
But perhaps we should bear responsibility for the validity of what we amplify.
Just my opinion.
But it might change the landscape.
