To the editor:
At the most basic level, a fact is simply information that many people believed to be true. Centuries ago people believed the earth was flat. Early days of medicine thought that sickness could be cured by bleeding the patient. Such facts turn out not to be true when new information is gained through experience and/or research.
Facts can also be inaccurate when they are based on selective attention to support a desired outcome or viewpoint, presenting supporting evidence while leaving out any mention of contrary evidence.
And, of course there are those ideas presented as fact that are based on lies. Lots of marketing falls into this realm, with the sales of OxyContin by Purdue Pharma as a stark contemporary example.
The thing about facts is that you can find “facts” to support any viewpoint what-so-ever.
In the Nov. 11 Lincoln County News, Joe Grant of Wiscasset had a letter to the editor. He spoke of his disappointment that the paper had inserted the words “in my opinion” into his letter the prior week (Nov. 4, “Who wins when healthcare workers are fired?”).
Mr. Grant asserted that his letter was based on facts, and offered specific references in support. He twice referenced the Foundation for Economic Education. Having no knowledge of this organization, I did a little digging.
According to Wikipedia, the Foundation for Economic Education’s mission is to promote principles of “individual liberty, free-market economics, entrepreneurship, private property, high moral character, and limited government.” Founded in 1946, FEE is considered the oldest free-market think tank in the United States. An early aim was to roll back policies of the New Deal. FEE opposed the Marshall Plan, Social Security and minimum wages, among other American social and economic policies.
In his letter regarding healthcare workers, Mr. Grant states, “It should not be surprising that our natural immune system is more effective than vaccines…” Yet as reported by the CBS News on Oct. 29, “Unvaccinated people who had survived a previous COVID-19 infection were more than five times more likely to be re-infected with the virus compared to those who were fully vaccinated with the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, according to a new study published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.”
Mr. Grant is a frequent writer of letters to the editor. In my opinion, his letters consistently tend to include “facts” that support a particular worldview. I went looking online to find out what Republican organizations exist in Lincoln County. I was not surprised to discover the fact that Joe Grant of Wiscasset is the chair of the Lincoln County Republican Committee.
Donald Osier, registered Independent voter
New Harbor
