I hope the following discussion will clarify at least some of the questions a reader might have about the terminology used on the Welcome page. Since this blog is all about telling the “truth”, I should first clarify what I mean by that term.
In some areas of human endeavor there are generally accepted truths. For example, few would deny that in the second half of the twentieth century a few brave souls flew in rocket ships to the Moon. There are also generally accepted truths regarding our physical world, though these occasionally change because of advances in scientific knowledge. For example, it is now generally accepted that the earth is round.
Of course, you can always find people who will deny even obvious truths. Some are contrarians, like the “conspiracy” theorists who claim that astronauts never made it to the Moon, while others have an agenda that prevents them from recognizing or admitting the truth, a group author Eric Hoffer called “True Believers”–people whose chosen beliefs leave them blind to reality. As examples of this category, I note that Pope Benedict XVI recently promoted to bishop an Austrian pastor who has been reported to believe that Hurricane Katrina was whipped up by God to punish sinners in New Orleans. The Pope also rescinded the excommunication of an anti-Semitic bishop who claims the Holocaust never happened. These examples of “true believers” spouting delusional doctrines—coming, as they did, right around the birth of this blog—couldn’t have been better timed if I had planned these events to coincide.
In any event, this blog typically will not address such historical or scientific matters. Rather, I am concerned with telling truths about smaller but more immediate issues that affect current events or our quality of life, where I feel strongly that the truth is not being told or is not understood. _______________________________________________________________________
As mentioned on the Welcome page, I will delete reader comments that display prejudice or inappropriate content. By “prejudice” I mean irrational hate or hostility towards an individual solely based upon that person’s race, religion, or membership in any other group. Obviously, if the goal of a group is to inflict harm (such as a terrorist organization) feelings of hostility would be rational.
“Inappropriate content” refers to the language or materials that you use to communicate your ideas, NOT to the ideas themselves. Please avoid profanity laced language and obscene materials that are not necessary to make your points effectively. This would not include the use of abbreviations, such as B.S. to describe former President Clinton’s claim that he didn’t consider getting a B.J. a sexual act, or his claim that the money paid to Clinton’s brother by the fugitive Rich had nothing to do with Rich’s getting pardoned and all law-abiding Americans getting scr__ed. I don’t mean to pick on President Clinton—who, except for those isolated incidents, discharged his presidential duties with distinction. But, as I was writing this page, those examples jumped into my mind and could not be dislodged. There are multiple examples of B.S. propagated by other former presidents, such as Richard Nixon and George W. Bush, but there’s just not enough room to include them on this page.
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Finally, as noted on the Welcome page and demonstrated above, I expect to tell truths that may make some people uncomfortable. While I encourage those folks to submit critical comments for publication on this blog, I’d prefer not to have to deal with someone throwing a rock through my window. That is the reason I decided to write this blog under a pseudonym. If you don’t like that, T.S.
