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“A widely held opinion is no proof that it is not at all ridiculous.”
Opinions are judgments that are subject to change as evidence is interpreted. Facts are verifiable and beyond argument. In recent years, people beyond ideological boundaries have turned to opinion-oriented cable channels and the Internet rather than “straight news.” This, along with other factors such as “confirmation bias,” creates distorted beliefs and behaviors.
In 2018, a Pew Research Center study sought to determine the public’s ability to distinguish between five factual statements and five opinion-based statements. The survey explored whether the general public perceives a distinction between news that is based on objective evidence and news that is not. The results hardly beat random guessing on the part of the participants.
The study concluded that people who place a high level of trust in the objective news media are better able to accurately identify news-related statements as fact or opinion than those who criticize the media. Nearly 40% of those who trusted the objective media correctly identified all five factual statements, compared to 18% of those who had little or no trust in the media. . The level of public interest in current events made little difference in distinguishing fact from opinion.
It should come as no surprise that another Pew Research report found that “ideological silos” are now common on both the left and the right. People with downward ideological stances, especially conservatives, are more likely to declare that most of their close friends share their political views. The report also revealed that many Republicans and Democrats have developed a growing disdain for opposing parties.
On a recent overnight trip to Somerset County, I had the opportunity to observe the Pew Report’s findings in real time. Somerset County leans Republican. Many residents continue to support Donald Trump. Newly minted “Trump 2024” signs have replaced roadside “Trump/Pence” signs.
Somerset County is rural, white and Protestant, with few recent immigrants. Family farms dot the landscape and have long provided the backbone of the local economy. Unlike neighboring counties to the west, there are no Marcellus shale deposits to fuel the economy. When dairy farms go bankrupt, so do local feed stores and other businesses that rely on farming.
In the Somerset county seat and other scattered towns, it is common for a fairly low-income population to use public housing. Many seniors struggle to survive on Social Security. I’m worried about the kerosene bill this year. Somerset County’s public school system is subpar. Teacher salaries are low and it is difficult to attract qualified educators.
Few residents of Somerset seem to trust the objective media to provide accurate information. But discussing politics is a common pastime. The conversation is filled with negative “opinions” of Democrats in general and President Biden in particular. These judgments are treated as “facts.” In living rooms, grocery stores, bank lobbies, phone conversations, and social media, so many invalid opinions are debated that cement-hard facts become accepted.
President Biden committed treason by not closing the southern border to protect Americans from crime and drugs. The fact is that the Trump administration left Biden with a patchwork of border deterrence policies. Solving the country’s migration crisis requires addressing the root causes with broad legislative solutions. Republicans in Congress have refused to discuss a blanket law.
President Biden deliberately cut the supply of oil by adopting a green energy policy to push up gasoline prices. In fact, Biden pleaded for more production and refining and announced plans to release 15 million barrels of oil from the Strategic Oil Reserve in December. Domestic producers are maximizing profits instead of spending money to open drilling rigs to produce more oil and gas.
Democrats printed trillions of dollars without increasing the supply of goods, thereby causing inflation. Blaming inflation solely on Democratic spending proposals ignores the trillions of dollars of pandemic spending that Republicans supported and approved when President Trump was president. is the main cause of global inflation.
Democrats cut police budgets and street crime is on the rise. Facts show that the city did not materially cut police spending for 2021-2022 as part of its budget-cutting initiatives. Instead, the city moved funds to create an alternate department to respond to 911 calls involving mental health and other nonviolent crimes. With gun violence on the rise in 2022, Democratic mayors across the country have called for additional police funding.
President Biden is offering billions of dollars in aid to Ukraine while allowing elderly Somerset County residents to freeze at home. Foreign policy experts from both parties agree that helping Ukraine is one of the best investments the United States has made in decades to protect its liberal democratic system. When it comes to helping low-income Americans, Republicans are refusing to offer help to Democrats.
Why does it matter whether an utterance is labeled opinion or fact? As I learned from my stay in Somerset County, it is possible to have a reasonable argument about opinion. But the false facts shared by the community are blameless. You should shut up and go home and write a commentary.
Gary Stout is an attorney in Washington State.
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