Facts and only Facts

            My niece is one of the lucky ones, When she graduated from college, she was able to land a job with the Atlantic, a classy magazine with a long history of good writing and intellectually challenging articles. When I sent her a subscription to Smithsonian, she reciprocated by subscribing me to the Atlantic.

            A short piece in the June issue by James Parker really got my attention. Entitled Glenn Beck in Exile," the article generally is a putdown of Beck's new venture, a Web/TV network called GBTV. Parker calls it "building a 24/7 media empire in his [Beck's] loopy image."                  The writer doesn't hold back in his scorn for the one-time major irritant of the Obama administration. Labels he hangs on Beck, like "patriotic unction," "zodiac of personal demons," "vials of his wrath," and "quivering curds of his indignation" leave no doubt about his disdain for the former star of Fox News. For good measure he takes irrelevant and gratuitous shots at conservative icons by describing Rush Limbaugh as the kingpin of malevolence and accusing Sean Hannity of triumphant mendacity.

            Parker may be a dexterous wordsmith, but his commentary is neither fair nor defensible. He clearly believes that dripping venom all over the page is more effective than a balanced presentation. His piece is a perfect example of why people distrust the media. Why do writers like Parker resort to character assassination rather than honest analysis? Since when does slander carry more weight than  facts?

            We all have our opinions and biases. I am an avowed conservative with a dollop of libertarianism. Some people agree with me, others don't. But if I take a position on an issue without facts to back it up, then I deserve to be slapped down. Similarly, if a liberal presents a cogent argument, I am likely to concede the point. In support of any political persuasion, accusations of loopiness, malevolence, or mendacity are no substitute for a reasoned and sustainable point of view.

            We are now entering the high season of campaigning for national office. And we are already seeing shameful attacks coming from unscrupulous supporters of both sides. I hope voters will be wise enough to disregard the nonsense and the puffery, and weigh the pros and cons of every important issue facing this country. The future is too important for us to choose our leaders based on scurrilous accusations and shameless demagoguery.