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There is one thing that both sides agree on in the upcoming election: That it is extremely consequential. Aside from that, there doesn’t seem to be agreement on even the most basic facts. Donald Trump claims, for instance, that the economy is in ruins despite. By objective measures, our economy is the strongest in the world: unemployment remains low; inflation is close to the 2 percent standard; wages have risen; consumer spending, airplane travel and entertainment are strong; and the stock market is close to a record high.
Similarly, immigrants actually commit crime at a lower rate than native-born citizens, and many are doing useful jobs like putting food on America’s tables. There is no concrete evidence that Trump won in 2020. And it’s undeniable that the climate is getting more dangerous and unpredictable.
Now, I make a conscious effort to follow both right-wing and “liberal” media, but one can’t help but notice that right-wing hosts focus on how awful the Democrats are and not about concrete solutions to the nation’s problems. If we are ever to actually address those problems, we must, as patriots, make an effort to listen, learn and fact check. We are all entitled to our opinions, but there is something called objective truth.
I’m old enough to remember when Walter Cronkite said each night, “And that’s the way it is.” Then we’d go on from there, basically accepting his report and arguing our separate viewpoints. Now we each get a newscast tailored to our pre-existing views, and it has led to rage and paralysis. It’s sad to see friends and family members cease speaking to each other because they watch different news shows.
Peter Pfeiffer
Solon
