A few weeks ago, a crime was committed that brought to the forefront of my mind an issue that has haunted me for some time and prompted me to want to write about it.
Paul Pelosi was violently attacked with a hammer in his own home requiring brain surgery to repair the damage inflicted by the intruder. The next day, an associate of ours asked if we were aware that the perpetrator and Mr. Pelosi were sharing a “gay experience” before the violence began. That turned out to be untrue, although the man accused of the crime had other serious issues.
I have no idea who published the misinformation about a gay party at the Pelosi home, or why it was published without substantiation, but this happens in our country almost daily and occurs even at the highest levels of our government, so why wouldn’t some ordinary person or publication intentionally smear Mr. Pelosi to gain attention? If your leaders do this, why not “normal” citizens?
Politicians, newscasters, and local leaders lie to achieve their goals and then sometimes retract or “walk back” their comments at a later date when no one will read or see the retraction or “clarification.” Why does this happen? Simply to persuade the audience to agree with a certain issue, or simply out of an unthinkable contempt for the truth. That is the method to this trend in our society.
The other day, even our President cited various statistics to make his point about the status of inflation in our country, but just about every “fact” he alleged was patently false. The White House staff later tried to “explain” the gaffe, but the President had already made his point, true or not. Not long ago, our Vice President and Secretary of Homeland Security each opined that our Southern Border is secure and under control. Both were inexcusable, intentional lies! And, don’t get me started on the confusing, contradictory spews of words that have spilled from the mouth of Chief Medical Advisor Tony Fauci over the past several months.
How can we teach our children and others to be honest and truthful if our leaders can stir up the truth with impunity? Hopefully, this will not become or remain as a way of life for those we used to look up to as the commanders of our generation.