What is the "Truth"

Benjamin Franklin said “A half truth is often a great lie,” which seems particularly applicable to the upcoming election cycle.  Most of the talking heads in the media – whether on the left or right, politician or pundit and regardless of the particular forum – are guilty of using half-truths.  Facts are shaded, “fuzzy math” is used to justify numbers and carefully worded statements and advertisements are generated that are not exactly untrue, but which might not stand up to strict scrutiny if examined by a truly neutral party.

Combine this shading of the truth with the tendency to demonize anyone who isn’t totally in agreement with your position, and it can make for some unpleasant conversations and actions, especially when it’s combined with the ardent refusal of elected officials to compromise on any position they feel will get them re-elected, sometimes without regard to whether or not they personally hold those particular beliefs.

So what’s the solution?  As I see it, the problem is two-fold.  First, we have elected officials who have forgotten that their obligation is to represent the entirety of their constituency, not just a vocal minority.  This can be difficult, since the vast majority of the population is far more concerned with keeping their job, making the mortgage payment, changing the oil in the car and getting new shoes for the kids than with abstract positions taken by politicians.  This means that the loudest individuals – whether because of their vocalizations or their checkbooks – have the greatest influence on our politicians.  These elected officials need to be reminded that there are a lot of people who elected them and who can un-elect them with the same process.  They need to hear from these people and understand that we’re watching and there will be consequences for actions.

The other thing that must occur is the same majority who are involved in their daily living have to take a break from those actions and work to educate themselves about the issues that affect our society.  This is easier said than done, because one trusts any source of information – especially 30 second media advertisements – at their own peril.  True, it’s much easier to inhale sound bites than to deal with more extensive research, but only by being a well-educated electorate will our country be able to truly elect those individuals who can work toward a reasoned consensus that will work to the benefit of the most individuals in our society.