Dear Boo and Bubble,
Well…today I turn 73 years old. Can you even
comprehend that? Almost three quarters of a century behind me…and who knows how
much more to go. It’s been quite a roller coaster ride since my last birthday,
our world upended by a virus that has taken over 275,000 lives and rapidly
counting. By a presidential election so bizarre in its aftermath that one
wonders if we’re living in someone’s horror novel. By the killing of a black
man by a policeman in front of our very eyes that left the country reeling with
protests, counterprotests, and further violence. These are perhaps the scariest
times I have ever known which says a lot because I have seen some quite
frightening events in all these years. My emotions have ridden that coaster as
well. I am left flummoxed, anxious, angry, stunned…but by and large, confused. As
I sit here in my chair looking out the window, the weather seems to be in the
same state—overcast and dreary…too cold to rain, but too warm to snow…so doing
neither.
As opposed to the attack on 9/11 of our country, this
moment of multiple crises is not a galvanizing one…one that snaps us all to
attention and puts our petty differences aside to unify us as citizens of a
single nation with a singular purpose. I swear, it seems almost like our very existence
requires an enemy and, absent some foreign entity to fulfill that purpose, we
just turn on each other. This muddled mess, to me, is more akin to the quagmire
of Vietnam and the unrest surrounding civil rights in the 60’s, but on steroids.
I can only surmise that today’s environment of nonstop “news” channels and
social media are those steroids, creating a chasm of public opinion so wide
that friends and family irreparably torn apart because they can no longer see
or hear each other.
We passed a billboard outside of Columbia, SC, the
other day coming home from our Thanksgiving family gathering that pretty much
sums up for me how out of kilter this situation has become. It read “Facts ≠
Truth.” Now that is quite a perplexing equation and I am struggling
to determine exactly what it means. Is it implying that facts are subject to interpretation
such as words, paintings or feelings? Is it suggesting the question “What does
this fact mean to you?” When you juxtapose this equation next to the very
definition of a fact— a thing that is known or proved to be true—it is one totally at odds
with itself. I find the suggestion preposterous.
Let’s analyze further, starting
with the basics. The earth is round…the earth circles the sun…the moon circles
the earth…gravity holds us to the earth…the sun rises in the east and sets in
the west. Are these facts the truth? I would proffer that they are, and I don’t
hear much skepticism out there about them. But if you’re trying to confuse
someone, you might try to convince them that they are not. Now, let’s look at
another set of facts. Covid 19 has been the cause of death for over 275,000
Americans. A policeman’s knee held on George Floyd’s neck for over eight
minutes caused his death. Joe Biden won 306 electoral votes. Are these facts
true? Again, I would answer yes, and you shouldn’t be able to separate them
from the reality that they are. You can’t state that Covid 19 caused 275,000
deaths but it’s a hoax…that Joe Biden won 306 electoral votes, but he didn’t
win the presidency…that George Floyd had a knee in his neck for over eight
minutes but that didn’t kill him. There are no “buts” with facts. They are the
truth.
I have no idea who paid
to display this proclamation on a billboard, nor can I surmise their motivation,
but it suspiciously appears to be an attempt to sow uncertainty. And quite
honestly, the last thing we need right now is somebody doing that.
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