Wednesday, February 20, 2002
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Wednesday, February 20, 2002 |
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Thinking about facts, opinions and 'leaders' Judging from the disjointed diatribe from Ms. Wanzer which was published as a letter to the editor on Feb. 13 ["Give King his due, but discover all the facts"], it appears, as my grandmother used to say, that we "got her goat" a bit. Rather than attempt to respond verbatim to her typewritten "hissy fit," let me offer the following as my self-chosen exit from this "debate." A "fact" is not an opinion, a viewpoint or a perspective. A fact is, quite simply, a fact. Consequently, "widely reading other viewpoints ..." will not change a fact. Editorial opinions, even those expressed by professional newspaper editors, even those in Nebraska, are you guessed it not facts. It should be noted that use of the phase "some of my best friends are black" or any of its variations including "...as a child, I played with little black girls..." or boasting that one has "dozens of black friends who live in ... Watts" is to be avoided. First, it is an outdated, "Archie Bunker-ish" method of extolling one's multicultural perspective. More importantly, it implies that to have one black friend or acquaintance bolsters the speaker's credibility on matters concerning historical events and gives the speaker license to opine concerning the thoughts, intentions, motives and views of all black people. Finally, black people have no "universally recognized leader" of anything. I know that some continue to have a really hard time believing this one but it's a "fact." Nope, not King, Jackson, Powell, Rice or even Jordan, Denzel or O.J ... No leader. No leader. Now, "Where do we go from here Chaos or Community?" Martin Luther King, I think. John Lewis Peachtree City
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