MY TURN: Truth is better than fiction

Another partisan election is quickly coming upon us. With every election, honesty in campaign messaging is a serious concern.

It is troubling how some folks will use social media, law enforcement, and the courts to spread falsehoods with the intent to harm while misleading their community. Their unethical tactics are familiar to the engaged; however, too many are vulnerable to being manipulated by this unprincipled conduct.

Falsehoods and conspiracy theories, once aired, are spread readily by people who don’t validate the accuracy of the information.

Deception may succeed briefly, but it generally will prove to be short-lived; truth has patience on its side. Lies require constant effort to maintain viability; dishonesty actually supplies the fuel for its own demise. Honesty offers the strongest, most sustainable foundation to build upon. What is built on fraud collapses under scrutiny.

Here are some tactics those who lack ethics use to defraud and mislead, especially during campaign season:

• They create duplicate social media accounts in the name of someone targeted. This fake account is used to libel, insult and harm others.

• Candidates will be mislabeled as being associated with a different political party than the one they belong to to discourage votes for them.

• Results of legal matters will be misrepresented; facts will be hidden to deceive and gain favor. Opposing candidates will be accused of committing crimes they did not commit, while the favored candidates’ criminal activity will be hidden from the voters.

• A candidate’s phone number may be “spoofed” to make it appear as if the candidate made a call for nefarious purposes.

• Fake videos will be made to misrepresent what the opposing candidate actually said.

• The U.S. Postal Service and text messaging will be used to spread fraudulent information about a candidate or associated organization.

It's not an exhaustive list, just some examples of ill-willed tactics used.

Lies travel faster than the truth because too many people don’t research and challenge them before repeating them.

Remember, when someone lies, they steal your right to know the truth.

A healthy society depends on its members being kind, curious, and critical thinkers, with the courage to value truth over comfort or loud opinions. What can you do to avoid falling prey to manipulation that proliferates during campaign season?

Only those dedicated to promoting moral principles are also dedicated to clearly and consistently promoting reality. Seek out these folks for information; truth must be actively sought, protected, and valued.

Practice self-respect and protect your dignity by not falling prey to the deceitful tactics of devious people wanting to con you with their fabricated stories.

Embrace the value of thinking independently. Avoid carelessly repeating what you hear or see without considering the character and credibility of the information source.

Step outside the comfort of your tribe — your common social circle — to examine and consider other information sources and viewpoints.

Smear campaigns are the backbone of character assassinations designed to discredit the targeted person without justification. By the time the candidate sets out to set the record straight, credibility has been eroded undeservedly.

To better serve our community, be the critical thinker you were born to be.

Let truth and goodwill always be your standard.

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Deborah Rose is a Kootenai County resident.