The truth about liars
A talking news head might not be 100 percent honest? We're shocked! Not that Brian Williams might've bolstered the autobiography just a wee bit, but that the minions in TV land are dismayed, outraged and ain't gonna take it anymore.
While they're switching the set to another shallow source of information, we pause for this important message.
Nobody's perfect. In this intriguingly imperfect world, some people are also liars. Liars make their way into bed chambers, into management positions, into political offices - boy, do they make their way into political offices - and sometimes, liars make their way into news organizations.
On the latter score, we're reminded of a couple prominent national reporters who cheated by stealing someone else's work, then lied about that until they were fully exposed. There is no Pulitzer for proving proficient in both cheating and lying.
We also remember a newspaper publisher in the Southwest who for years was widely regarded as a war hero. He was regarded as such because he had the uniform, the medals and the stories to back it all up. Only it was a lie; one big story assembled by a sick man whose hard-earned newspaper wealth and influence apparently weren't enough.
Who knows what leads someone already at the top of their particular game to put a little extra shine on their body of work? Shame on them. And shame on the rest of us for expecting something different.
When it comes to the dissemination and consumption of important information, the words of constitutional scholar Dr. David Adler ring true from his presentation in Coeur d'Alene a couple springs ago. Dr. Adler reminded folks that they have a responsibility as citizens of this great republic to arm themselves with information that will help them understand what's going on around them. Only in that ongoing understanding can they make informed decisions that can positively impact their families, their communities, their fellow Americans.
Being informed takes work, he acknowledged. Citizens should routinely tap numerous sources of information, digest what each has to offer, and form their conclusions based on the bigger picture formed by not one news-gathering organization, but several. In that way, liars and blatantly biased sources can't be eliminated, but they will more likely be exposed. Something resembling truth or at least reasonable accuracy will remain.
One other suggestion from the good doctor: If you really want to understand your world, turn off the TV. Read. Today that seems like particularly good advice.