In the modern world, conspiracy theorists like Alex Jones are popular. Searching “famous conspiracy theorists” or “famous conspiracy people” results in links to various news articles about Alex Jones. These words will appear: 

“Ponzi scheme.” 

“Crisis actors.” 

“Travesty of justice.” 

“Keep the truth alive.” 

As an infamous conspiracy theorist, Alex Jones is most notably involved in the creation of extreme right-wing radio shows and websites, the Jan. 6 storming of the capital, and the harassment following the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. Millions of viewers subscribe to his version of reality and his theories are constantly gaining traction. Jones utilizes his podium to promote his own brand of conspiracy. These conspiracies may be construed as a positive or negative concept. 

Merriam Webster negatively defines a conspiracy theory as “a theory that explains an event or set of circumstances as the result of a secret plot by usually powerful conspirators.” Encyclopedia Brittanica contradicts this definition, simplifying it to “an attempt to explain harmful or tragic events as the result of the actions of a small powerful group.” Senior Hayden Stowe offers a critical definition. He says it is “a far radical belief that is planted and seeded by intense levels of misinformation.” Freshman Saira Hashmey contradicts this theory, lending a more encompassing lens. She defines it as “when we think of the unknown and we theorize on how and why that is.” Ultimately, these definitions can be broken down into three main categories – motivation, differences of opinion/contradictory ideas, and worldly impacts. 

The Anti-Defamation League outlines three major psychological motivations surrounding the growth of conspiracy theories. The first reason is epistemic; humans have a continuous need for information, especially in light of major events. The second reason is existential; humankind’s need to feel safe, secure, and in-control. The third reason is social; the craving to feel unique and superior when information is revealed to only a singular individual. Sophomore Audrey Short explains that their motivation is “power. They are looking to garner support and assert their superiority. They are saying that they have the truth and nobody else does.” These motivations are integral in understanding the necessity that drives a conspiracy theorist.  

For years, the world has struggled with misinformation, distrust, and ignorance. These problems directly result from differences of opinion. Alternative narratives construct separate groups. People often choose to surround themselves with people who think similar concepts in a similar manner. Junior Aiden Giroux describes this paradigm most succinctly stating, “You could label any opinion you do not like a conspiracy if you do not believe in that evidence.” He continues that “[conspiracy theories are driven by] distrust in the government and in their way of telling things.” People are immune to evidence. They pick and choose evidence that fits within a worldview and disregard anything that does not prove their claim. Stowe adds, “I think it starts with misinformation. But you also have to understand that the people who believe these things really believe that information. It is not that they are attempting to be misinformed. They believe the information. That is kind of the problem – it is the information itself. It is not their fault for believing it.” Many people may only have access to one point of view and may struggle to find credible sources. Fact checking is a common fallacy when it comes to these theories. 

Over the last few decades, the term conspiracy theory has adopted an inherently negative connotation. However, fundamentally, there is nothing wrong with conspiracy theory. It is the impact of these conspiracies on the world that makes alternative narratives troubling. Problems arise when conspiracy theorists direct their narratives and therefore, their followers to hate crimes, scapegoating, and violence. Giroux adds that “anyone’s political opinions could lead to violence and harassment.” Short comments further, “Yes, Sandy Hook is a really good example because Alex Jones crafted this false narrative about what happened, and his supporters took it so far as to harass and threaten and deface the victims’ property and their lives. I think it absolutely can because when you put enough fear and enough negative emotions into a narrative and you call it the truth, people will do anything to enforce it.” Many conspiracy theorists profit from prominent events, as they are sources of fear and uncertainty for billions of people. They use them as platforms not to offer alternative narratives, but to launch their own hate-filled propaganda.  

On Dec. 14, 2012, in Newton, Conn., 26 people lost their lives fighting to survive. This was the day of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. 

At 9:30 a.m. the shooter, Adam Lanza, entered Sandy Hook Elementary School and murdered 26 people. Six adults were murdered in their duty to safeguard their students, including Principal Dawn Lafferty Hochsprung, school psychologist Mary Sherlach, first-grade teacher Victoria Soto, permanent substitute teacher Lauren Rousseau, staff member Anne Marie Murphy, and staff member Rachel D’Avino. 20 students were murdered for acquiring an education, including Charlotte Bacon, Daniel Barden, Olivia Engel, Josephine Gay, Dylan Hockley, Madeleine Hsu, Catherine Hubbard, Chase Kowalski, Jesse Lewis, Ana Marquez-Greene, James Mattioli, Grace McDonnell, Emilie Parker, Jack Pinto, Noah Pozner, Caroline Previdi, Jessica Rekos, Avielle Richman, Benjamin Wheeler, and Allison Wyatt. All the children were between the ages of six and seven. 

In less than five minutes, Lanza had fired 154 rounds of bullets. After taking his mother’s life that morning, Adam Lanza took his own life. The elementary school was deemed an indefinite crime scene and was demolished in 2014. 

The Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting was one of the deadliest shootings in history.  

In the aftermath of the shooting, the phrases “Ponzi scheme,” “Crisis actors,” “Travesty of justice,” and “Keep the truth alive,” frequently appeared in the media. As an infamous conspiracy theorist with millions of subscribers, Jones utilizes his media platform to claim that the shooting was a farse. Over the years, his opinions have led to the harassment and abuse of the Sandy Hook families. Several families filed a lawsuit, and Jones went on trial. At one point, due to Jones’ manipulation of the First Amendment, there was a list of topics that he was not allowed to discuss. This included, “free speech rights, the Sandy Hook families’ $73 million settlement this year with gun-maker Remington (the company that made the Bushmaster rifle used to kill the victims at Sandy Hook), the percentage of Jones’ shows that discussed Sandy Hook, and whether he profited from those shows or a similar case in Texas.” As a result of this trial, Jones was recently charged with $965 million in damages to the Sandy Hook families. While this charge has not deterred his Infowars website or podcast, Chris Mattei, the lawyer for the Sandy Hook families called the Connecticut Decision “a verdict against Alex Jones’s lies and their poisonous spread, and a verdict for truth and our common humanity.” 

Conspiracy theories align with the beliefs of free speech. But most well-known conspiracy theorists who cause lasting harm reach beyond the limits of free speech. Alternative narratives are not intrinsically bad. Some people just take it too far. Alex Jones took it too far.