"Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but no one is entitled to his or her own set of facts," says one of the pundits on MSNBC. It's a pretty simple statement, and one which I take to heart. In today's world it seems that a good number of folks can't recognize the difference between a fact and an opinion. On this website, I will be offering opinions, supported by facts as I know them. Of course, facts can change as more information is uncovered, and we as people come to understand our relationship to all the things, ideas, and events that occur in the world. I invite others to comment and to offer their own opinions supported by fact. If you aren't sure of what a fact is, then you should probably not comment. If you are unsure of the accuracy or reliability of a fact, then say so. When John Kerry ran for President, someone alleged that he was a "flip-flopper" because he changed positions on a few things. I have no problem with someone who thoughtfully changes his or her position on something. After all, many of us believed in Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny as though it were fact until we were confronted with strong evidence to the contrary, and then we changed our perspective on the issue.
You'll note that the picture on this page is one of Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln seems to personify an honest and thoughtful person who seeks to find out the truth on a matter. He may not always have been right, but he always seemed to seek the right. And from where I sit, that is as much as is humanly possible. We need to be able to doubt our facts, and when there is enough doubt and enough evidence to the contrary, to change our position on a subject. And we need to be able to admit we don't know something, that there is uncertainty in our minds, and to be able to live with the uncertainty. With that being said, let us embark on a journey of discovery and see if we cannot ferret out truths and facts about what is happening in our world. |
This is the bunch known as The Geezers at our first outing in Rhinelander, Wisconsin. Fifty years ago we were best of friends. Then we went off to the world, had some grand adventures, and lived to tell about them. What I know about the world, and how I interpret the world is in large part due to the people with whom I grew up. I couldn't have asked for a better crew. We continue to gather twice each year, and we still enjoy one another's company.
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