CROSSVILLE —
“I’m always disappointed when the liar’s pants don’t actually catch on fire,” reads a recent Facebook post. Indeed. In this election year, misinformation is dangerous, but lies are unconscionable, spreading like wildfire through Fox News, Facebook, talk radio and insidious e-mails. The non-partisan, Pulitzer prize-winning politifact.com unveiled these fabrications:
"Obama admits he’s coming for our guns, telling Sarah Brady, ‘We are working on (gun control), but under the radar,’” according to the NRA. Brady responds that her statement was misrepresented and that she has not spoken with Obama about gun policy Since the president has not gone after gun laws, the NRA deceptively made a quote fragment appear to be a conspiracy.
More than 43 percent of all food stamps are given to illegals. Those who believe this Facebook post aren’t as smart as fifth graders. Do the math. Forty-three percent of the 46.4 million people who do receive food stamps would equal about 20 million illegals receiving food stamps. But there were only 11.2 million illegal immigrants in the U.S. in 2010 — and that number is dropping. So how could 20 million receive food stamps? Never mind that it is illegal for undocumented adult immigrants to receive food stamps. Children can get assistance, but there are only 3.5 million of them. Somebody’s not telling the truth.
Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie made a late-night visit to Kinko’s to forge President Barack Obama’s birth certificate two days before Obama unveiled it to the media. Whoever started this e-mail lie can’t identify a joke. It came from the Hawaii Reporter. The end of the story in the paper admonished, "EDITOR'S NOTE: This report is in our satire section." It was published on April Fool's Day, in the comics section. The paper commented that it did not intend for the story to be taken seriously. Yet they received multiple requests for “more information.” The “Birthers” will believe anything!
President Barack Obama "has doubled the size of government since he took office," according to Republican Paul Ryan. His claim is based on federal budget figures. But the Congressional Budget Office finds that the increase through the proposed 2012 budget only amounts to 6% — hardly doubling. Ryan is the party’s budget guru. He should know the truth.
Many statements from this election’s sorry crop of Republican candidates are flaming untruths. Newt Gingrich says federal workers are not allowed to say “Merry Christmas.” Rick Perry claims Obama is a socialist. Mitt Romney deceives when he says that the President never mentioned the debt or deficit in his State of the Union address (since when does six = zero?) and that the economy is only “inches” away from not being a free economy.
Opinion
WE THE PEOPLE: Liar, liar, pants on fire...
- Opinion
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LION AND THE LAMB: Ten years in captivity
Traditionally male violence against women has been delivered by fist or gun. On May 6, however, another delivery system was brought to light: chains and rope.
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WE THE PEOPLE: Crashing those Pearly Gates
Too often when one of our “public servants” dies, even if he is a blot on the human race, he is elevated to sainthood before they can get a tag on his toe. Then the press eulogizes him right into heaven before St. Peter can check his credentials. Even those who are a bit skeptical of this revision of history tend to adopt a “forgive and forget” attitude. Margaret Thatcher’s recent death seems to indicate that the British are less forgiving and have a better memory.
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TIDBITS: Practical advice for new grads
Another graduation season is upon us, and soon a new crop of young adults will head out into the world, full of hopes and dreams for the future.
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STUMPTALK: The right to bear arms
The anti-gun activists are wacky as a June bug for their solutions to eliminate gun-violence. They have it backwards. Instead of going after those that perpetrate these despicable acts, they are mounting attacks on law-abiding citizens, restriction of access to firearms, limiting magazine size and universal background checks.
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Small Town Girl: Britain's missing royalty
Last week, Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, after a 33-year-reign, abdicated in favor of her son, the now-King Willem-Alexander. He is now the youngest monarch in Europe and is the first Dutch king in more than 120 years. One has to wonder how Prince Charles of England felt while attending the coronation ceremonies. After all, he has been waiting to inherit the English throne from his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, for over 60 years.
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We the People: Minimum wage is not enough to live on
For folks too young or too unaware what has happened to our economy the past 30 years, here is an answer. Ronald Reagan, G.H.W. Bush and the Republican Party are responsible for what we know as "Reaganomics," an economy that continues today resulting in few "labor unions” and the resulting low wages and lack of worker benefits.
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Lion and the Lamb: In the eye of the beholder
The May 5 issue of People magazine appeared with an astonishing cover. It proclaimed in big letters "World's Most Beautiful Woman!" and featured 40-year-old actress Gwyneth Paltrow. The issue also included the facial pictures of over a hundred other American beauties from age 15 to 70.
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Tidbits: The value of a community newspaper
I'll be the first to agree the life of a reporter isn't glamorous, especially when you work at a small town newspaper.
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Stumptalk: Blowback — for every action...
Blowback (1) — the escape to the rear of a gun of gases formed by the discharge of a projectile (Funk & Wagnalls, 1963). In 1967 I knew a Marine sergeant at the Naval Hospital in Portsmouth, Virginia, who had lost his arm in Vietnam when a 105 mm Howitzer “blew back” on him.
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GARY'S WORLD: Sexual preferences are not breaking news
Sometimes when I think about how much the world and society and the media have changed over the past 20 years, it makes me cringe.
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