Dear editor:
While reading some of the recent letters, I was reminded of a quote that I recently read, "We are all born ignorant, but one must work hard to remain stupid." The quote was attributed to dear old Ben Franklin. However, as with many other quotes and information on the Internet, a little research reveals that Ben may or may not have said it, but since the source is really not that important in this instance, I feel comfortable in using it.
One of the biggest problems I have found with letters written by the conservative and evangelical contributors of letters is that they often take something that sounds good to them and automatically assume it is correct because it is on the Internet and attributed to someone they like, or presents information that they want to believe is true. It makes no difference to them that the information is inaccurate and the actual facts can easily be found with a little research.
Perhaps one of the most blatant examples in recent letters was the claim by Mr. Drews that there have been over 2,300 killings in Chicago already this year. Just a cursory search of the Internet reveals that the real number is just over 300 so far this year. There was one article which stated that there have been 2,300 shootings in Chicago this year, however " killings " sounds so much better to those who disregard real facts.
I find it somewhat ironic that Rep. McCarthy said the one thing about the Benghazi hearings that was a fact, and as a result lost his race for leadership. Anyone aware of the situation knew that the only purpose was political and nothing but an attempt to destroy Clinton. The Planned Parenthood hearings are also filled with lies and innuendos directed at presenting false information.
It seems that there is an unending stream of false and misleading information being presented to the people by those who should know better, but are dedicated to a path of destruction. For those who are on that road, presenting false information is no barrier. They have lost all sense of morality and decency, while claiming moral superiority based on a very questionable value system. The Republican Party base is white evangelicals, so it's no wonder that the GOP lies frequently and often. Those who base their values on religious mythology have spent lifetimes being trained to believe unreliable and misleading information.
Mike Nunn
Hot Springs
Editorial on 10/11/2015