Showing posts with label truth. Show all posts
Showing posts with label truth. Show all posts

Tuesday, September 11, 2018

KIDNAPPING TRUTH

by Ruth A. Sheets

There are two basic types of truth, the capital "T" truth and the lower case "t" truth.  The first is what we hold as ultimate truth, our beliefs, our understanding of how the world/universe works.  I am not talking about that Truth here.

The second is "the" truth.  This involves facts, what actually happens.  It involves numbers, language, observation in the real world.

Not only has there been an assault on the truth, (lower-case "t") lately, but in some cases, it has been kidnapped, possibly held for ransom.  Perhaps, it has been replaced with the changelings Alternate Facts and Fake News. 

The problem is not that we can't tell these are changelings, (you know, the beings fairies exchanged good little children for), but we are getting used to having them around.  We know Alternate Facts just spouts fabrications.  We even laugh sometimes at her blatant misuse of information and data.  We know that although the main stream media does cover the changelings too often and too deeply, it does try to get the story right most of the time, when it is not afraid of being called "enemy of the people." 

Cute little Fake News is very active, but not where current politicians direct our attention.  Conservatives/Republicans cry out, for example,  that some social media has banned Alex Jones from their platforms, yet also cry out against the media reporting on the kidnapping of children by US Government officials at the border as the work of Fake News. 

Alex Jones consistently employs Fake News and her consorts to tell Americans that Sandy Hook was a hoax and a spate of other ridiculous false tales, while there is every kind of physical evidence of the border child kidnappings.

Kelly Anne Conway, Mr. Trump's nurturer of young Alternative Facts insists her protege is alive and well and explains all Mr. Trumps forays into the land of untruth.  For many, Alternative Facts is their darling.  It lets them continue to pledge their allegiance to Mr. Trump while maintaining their personal belief that lying is a sin (or at least that is what their Judeo-Christian faith tells them they should believe).  It's not lying, it's Alternative Facts. 

There are a few ways we can tell that truth has been missing for a while and its absence was barely noticed.
- Even Democrats believed Republican lies that Nancy Pelosi was an ineffective leader.
- Millions ignore the overwhelming evidence of human activity causing global warming, so leaders do nothing.
- Republicans/conservatives  are guaranteed to bow to the choice of Brett Kavanaugh as Supreme Court justice, but Democrats are buying the nonsense that if they don't vote for Kavanaugh, we'll get someone worse.
- Immigrants are criminals, so it really doesn't matter what happens to them.  They have no right to be here.  Separated from their children?  That's their fault.
- Corporations have the people's interests at heart or they couldn't make any money.
- There is an infinite amount of fraud in our voting system.
- Republican/conservative legislators name bills that will do exactly opposite of their title and don't see a problem with it.
- Russia didn't meddle in the 2016 election, so we should fire Robert Mueller.

Truth is missing from the current administration and Republican party in general. Her loss is being felt by everyone whether they know it or not.  We need to get out and actively look for her and replace the changelings with veracity, you know, the basic honesty we were taught as children.  We need to send those changelings back to hades where they came from.   

Thursday, October 25, 2012

Lying – Sin or Salvation

by Ruth A. Sheets

Lying used to be seen as the practice of the unholy.  Yet, these days, self-confirmed Christians lie with impunity.  In fact, many politicians now consider lying an effective victory strategy. 

In a culture where winning is everything, lying is certainly acceptable if it gets one to the desired end.  Why?  Why are we OK with lying and deceit, expecting it from our leaders.  Even though it isn’t true, we constantly hear “Well, everyone does it.”  Does that somehow make it right?

Mitt Romney has taken lying to a new height, at least in our lifetime.  He has said so many different lies that he can’t even keep track of them anymore.  And, the most disturbing thing, he seems sure of each statement’s truth as he says it.  He exudes a positive manner with each lie.  He is like the kid who truly believes he had nothing to do with the fight even though he is right in the middle of things with a bloody nose.  He can’t imagine how anyone could accuse him of lying or anything else .

Mr. Romney is so entitled and has been all of his life, believing that everything coming from his mouth must be true since he said it. A pronouncement from the lips of Mitt Romney should be taken as gospel no matter how often it contradicts what he said previously.  Expedience works really well for him.  Romney merely says what each audience wants to hear because that is what it takes to get elected in the warped America in which we live today.

A more interesting aspect of this issue for me is that when voters learn that Mr. Romney
has lied, and has done it over and over, they seem to like him even more.  The polls go up in his favor.  Do they really like liars?  

I am concerned that Mr. Romney can’t even tell the difference between when he is lying and telling the truth.  He does the lying with such ease and conviction that listeners who do not dig deeper can be convinced that he has always held this particular position and is being honest.  I have to admit that this to me, borders on mental illness.  I recognize the value of people who are living with mental illness, but do not want my president to be thus afflicted.

I keep hearing from Republicans that there is no racism on their part, yet, many Americans, professed Christians, religious people seem to want a serial liar over an African-American.  No racism?  Hmmm!