How facts fit in opinion columns

Notes, quotes and anecdotes as we celebrate spring, and dream of all that sunshine coming along soon.

And please, no grousing about a little rain.

If you want all that summer beauty, you have to put up with an umbrella day here and there.

Speaking of spring, the boss is bustin’ out a local bouquet for you, shot by former Press photographer Shawn Gust. Makes sense, since everyone was probably tired of seeing snow greeting you four days a week in this space.

WHILE WE’RE on the subject of “A Brand New Day,” you might have seen our offering last Saturday.

Faced with a mountain of questions about who I am and what the heck I’m doing here four times each week, I shared a few personal tidbits — mostly things I’ve been asked most often.

But I saved one item, to address it separately.

A few readers asked something like this: “Isn’t your opinion sometimes like fake news — because you say things when you don’t know positively that you’re right?”

That’s a reasonable question, and I want to answer it.

Here’s the deal: The Press labels my columns with a photo and my picture, so it’s assumed you know that what I write is my opinion — unless I specifically state some facts; for instance, citing a state study of the median income in Kootenai County.

The key here is that I NEVER invent those facts.

Sometimes I’ll include a few absolute truths and then offer an opinion about them.

In those cases, you are free to agree with me, or think I’m bonkers.

Fair enough.

The facts I use, though, are never fake.

NO MATTER what your political stance, I think you should feel a bit sorry for state Sen. Bob Nonini, R-Coeur d’Alene.

Nonini is running for lieutenant governor, he’s very strongly pro-life, and while explaining his views, he said abortion was murder (a belief plenty of Idahoans embrace).

For whatever reason, though, he also included mention of the death penalty.

Now if this were 20 years ago, Bob’s statement may only have been reported in a couple of local papers. He quickly could have said he left the wrong impression, and the issue would have faded away.

In this viral age, however, just a single phrase can spread everywhere in minutes.

Literally.

Nonini might now be known as a wild-eyed extremist — in New York, in Belgium, pretty much anywhere.

These days, that “going viral” thing can happen to almost any of us.

And frighteningly, there is no going back. Clarifications don’t reach anyone.

For better or worse, the toothpaste is out of the tube.

It’s scary, and it’s also one reason that a lot of very capable people stay out of politics.

Which is a shame.

JUST A reminder that we’re still collecting emails and Twitter responses to discover your favorite books.

This is open-ended: I’m not even sure when we’ll stop the polling, so join in. I’m even going to get the opinion of some librarians.

So far, there is a definite trend AWAY from current or recent best-sellers. Very, very few of the books that folks have mentioned were written after 2000.

There is almost no interest in “Gone Girl,” or John Grisham, Stephen King, James Patterson, “Girl on a Train,” Jack Reacher’s adventures or other thrillers.

Not even latter-day romances.

It will be interesting to see if that changes as we go along.

So let’s hear from you.

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Steve Cameron is a columnist for The Press.

Email: scameron@cdapress.com.

Twitter: @BrandNewDayCDA