SEARCHING FOR TRUTH
/By: Joel E. Gordon
“When you want to help people, you tell them the truth. When you want to help yourself, you tell them what they want to hear.” – Thomas Sowell
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines truth as the body of real things, events and facts: ACTUALITY.
Truth used to be and largely remains a simple matter for me. Truth is the opposite of a lie or of being deceitful and is supposed to be rooted in fact. However, it is not so simple to many any longer in our current cultural environment.
Fortunately for law enforcement, police body camera use has overall proven to be a blessing to our law enforcement community. Their implementation has proven time and time again that constitutional policing is the norm, much to the dismay of the anti-police law and order naysayers.
Perception vs. reality: So how is one, in this day and age of false narratives, fake news and social media lies expected to be able to determine what is reality or fact absence of being rooted in ideology? In a culture where “truth” seemingly appears to be in the eye of the beholder, a free society and its governing bodies have no business regulating free speech or determining what is disinformation or misinformation. The Department of Homeland Security’s creation of a Disinformation Governance Board has set off a backlash of opposition. Amid a growing anti-censorship sentiment, many have suggested that the initiative amounts to policing speech and have likened it to the Ministry of Truth from George Orwell’s book “1984.”
It has not been without further controversy when it was announced that the board’s executive director would be Nina Jankowicz, who has in the past supported Democrats, praised efforts to crack down on coronavirus “misinformation” on social media, was a Hunter Biden laptop denier, propped up the Steele Dossier Russia collusion lies and spoke as a far-leftist partisan. The self-proclaimed ‘Mary Poppins’ of disinformation is unbelievably seen on video singing and asking “who do I f**k to be famous and powerful,” her own words, among other things. Is this parody or truth? You decide. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas defended Jankowicz, calling her "eminently qualified," a "renowned expert" and "neutral." One thing is for certain; questions about her credibility and judgment are understandable.
I know that we as individuals can look at the same scenario or images yet take away a different
perspective based upon our own experiences, wants, ideology and prejudices. In many cases, though, could it be said that failure to see an entire event or scenario will cause a distorted perception of what has actually occurred or is occurring? Compartmentalized thinking is often used for justification, right or wrong, to rationalize a taken position. For many years, as a thoughtful philosopher by nature, I have been thinking about how compartmentalized thought (or partial information) is detrimental to critical thinking. Does a lack of understanding of cause and effect and unintended consequences stymie the ability to "see the whole picture"? The belief that we all have our "own truth,” being further fueled by academia, is increasingly bothersome to me. Schools are guilty of compartmentalizing subject matter restricting students’ understanding of reality and further limiting a world view full of facts, connections and questions yet to be answered. Is this way of thinking possibly at the root of our cultural decline?
The Urban Dictionary offers this definition of My Truth (which if it’s not mine is your truth)... My Truth: Pretentious substitute for "non-negotiable personal opinion" Often used by academics, this is a convenient phrase for avoiding arguments because people can contradict your opinion but not your "truth." The phrase is often used when seeking to justify a controversial personal stance or action because people are not allowed to argue with "your truth."
It is compartmentalized partisan thinking that leads to people believing that they are entitled to their "own truth.” Compartmentalized thought then lends itself to that perception of multiple truths dependent on opinion rather than fact. It seems as though a view of the complete picture would, more often than not, reveal a universal truth as the body of real things, events and facts: ACTUALITY.
Silencing conservative or alternative thinking individuals via campus boycotts, government influence and social media limitations due to "political correctness" concerns further exacerbates the problem of failing to give individuals the chance for gaining necessary information so all sides are heard and honestly evaluated.
If truth remains in doubt and is controversial, then divisiveness will surely continue to expand and grow in our society. To seek unity - the kind of unity and patriotism seen immediately after September 11, 2001 - we should be open to diversity in thought for honest evaluations all the while remaining protective of facts in seeking the real and honest truth.
Joel E. Gordon is a former Field Training Officer with the Baltimore City Police Department and is a past Chief of Police for the city of Kingwood, West Virginia. He has also served as vice-chair of a regional narcotics task force. An award winning journalist, he is author of the book Still Seeking Justice: One Officer's Story and founded the Facebook group Police Authors Seeking Justice. Look him up at stillseekingjustice.com
