Speaking Out for Facts

Are facts becoming an endangered species? I sure hope not. But at the same time I am concerned for their future. It used to be that cold, indisputable facts would win the day in any discussion or debate. Two plus two equals four. What goes up must come down. It is facts like these that should constitute the focal point of discussion. But nowadays people seem to be so caught up in getting out their side of an issue - what they would like to see versus what is - that facts no longer seem to be the rock or foundation around which all conversation revolve. Instead, facts seem to be as much available for manipulation and interpretation as are opinions. As a result, what people define as their own truth is replacing what society accepts as irrefutable facts. This is not a healthy trend for any of us.

I see the current political season as being a major reason for the current shaky status of facts. Perhaps the political season brings out the worst in people when it comes to public discourse. Perhaps the political season makes candidates and their supporters feel it is ok to exaggerate, twist and speak irrationally when it comes to making their positions known and driving home their points. Perhaps it is the political season that leads voters to focus on those candidates that make the most noise, produce the ads that are most slick, or spew the glibbest sound bites. Perhaps it is the political season that leads voters away from assessing the content of what candidates are saying, examining the sources of a candidate's information, and studying what it would mean if what some candidates are calling for is actually implemented. For instance, do we really want to abolish the concept of separation of church and state from the Constitution? Would doing away with the entire medicare and social security programs really be the best thing for us to do? Would eliminating the Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Education make life in the U.S. better and healthier? Yet these kind of opinions are being put forward by candidates without any explanation as to the ramifications of such dramatic actions.

But just because the current political season will soon subside does not mean my concerns about facts and the thread from which they seem to be hanging will also fade away. Sadly, my worries will not go away. Whether we are in a political season or not, I fret that facts are gradually being moved away from their front row seat to one that is more off to the side. They seem no longer to be the driver of our communication but rather just one of the passengers. In the world of law enforcement, facts drive investigations and not the other way around. Facts should drive communication as well. Sure people want to express their views. People want to be heard. But discourse on any level must go beyond simply speaking out for its own sake. It is up to communicators of all stripes to become advocates of facts. To ignore or twist them is, at the least, is disreputable spin control and, at the worst, dishonest. Either way, not giving facts their just due in any exchange or interaction between individuals or publics is simply poor communication.