Letters: A crisis of truth; Failing tests of political courage
A crisis of truth
There is a crisis of truth now, which is making the country almost schizophrenic between what is said in the New York Times and what is said on Fox News.
To cure this, I would revive the fairness doctrine, which said whenever you take sides on an issue you must then take fairly the other side.
Then we should change our libel laws to be similar to the British, which would allow you to punish lies published about you.
As Thomas Aquinas said, to write, give first your position, then state fairly what opposes it, and then conclude by resolving the tension.
Remember that writing, the media and the internet can only in part reflect what makes each of us transcendently important.
Go there and then hear Ghandi saying, “I find truth so important that, if it were a choice between God and truth I would choose truth.” Let us join him each time before we begin to read.
Failing tests of political courage
It’s sad to know that U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney has more “spine” than Glenn Thompson and Fred Keller combined, the two men representing central Pennsylvania in Congress.
Cheney stood tall, speaking truth in the face of overwhelming odds, and demonstrated her commitment to her oath of office against Trump and his acolytes trying to steal the election. Thompson and Keller bowed at the feet of Trump, perhaps the most dishonest president ever, and in the process, demonstrated their lack of character and courage.
Trump and his cronies yelled, “Stop the Steal,” but it was they who were trying to steal the election. Cheney saw through the Big Lie and risked her career, demonstrating fidelity to the Constitution and to her oath of office. While I am at odds with her on many of her positions, I salute her courage. Survival of our democracy is more important to her than simply going along to get along with the “party line.”
Thompson and Keller want you to forget that when it mattered most, they failed this test of political courage.
In 2022 Thompson and Keller will be up for reelection. We should vote them out. It’s difficult to see how we could get worse representation.
Disappointed in local elected representatives
In the past few months we’ve seen what our local elected representatives are made of — and it’s not a pretty picture.
U.S. Representatives Glenn Thompson and Fred Keller were so devoted to President Trump they tried to overturn what Trump’s own cybersecurity expert called “the most secure election in American history” to keep the confirmed liar and con-man in the White House for four more years. Thompson and Keller acted against confirming fair elections, including voiding Electoral College ratification results from all 50 states.
Never forget that our congressmen directly contributed to the deadly insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.
Back home, state Senator Jake Corman sent a letter to Congress urging members to delay certification of Pennsylvania’s election results, repeating several false claims about the state’s presidential election that have been debunked.
He thinks there was something so sinister about our first year of expanded voting by mail, a system he helped create, that he’s formed a “Bipartisan Committee on Election Integrity and Reform” to try to find reason to justify cutting voting by mail, or to somehow suppress the vote.
And state Rep. Kerry Benninghoff thinks the Pennsylvania legislature somehow has the right to overturn the results of an honest and fair election, presumably because he doesn’t like the results.
They have embarrassed us and our state. If they stand for reelection all four will be on the November 2022 ballot. Never forget what they did. In 2022 show no doubt, just vote them out!