Sometimes things are not as they seem. The news might report on something bad some group of people did, claim that they were part of some larger movement, and use the event to paint the whole movement as flawed. Don’t assume this is true!

Labor union leadership has been known to hire homeless people to hold signs and protest while pretending to be union members. Democrat operatives were exposed posing as Tea Party members and doing stupid things on camera. Antifa hijacked Black Lives Matter protests by initiating vandalism, getting some BLM activists to join them, and causing the whole BLM movement to be associated with violence. There were even rumors floated that it was actually undercover police doing these things. Antifa later stormed the capitol dome and got some Trump supporters to join them. It was reported by some media outlets to be only Trump supporters. When probably-Antifa later attacked a DNC office, it was rumored that these were actually Trump supporters looking to discredit Antifa. Who knows?

When Joseph Stack flew his plane into an IRS office, left-wing media claimed he was a conservative and right-wing media claimed he was a liberal. When MSNBC played the 911 tape made by George Zimmerman, they edited it to make him sound racist. When a black woman’s car was surrounded and attacked by leftist rioters, with one of them climbing up her hood, the photograph of the event was claimed to be of a white supremacist running over peaceful protestors with his car.

Sometimes news outlets lie. Sometimes they don’t double-check their sources. Sometimes they make genuine mistakes. Sometimes they are duped themselves. Don’t believe everything you hear. Don’t believe everything you read.

In politics, we play with the lives of other people. Those we vote for will put in place policies that might make the difference between life and death, imprisonment and freedom, or poverty and riches. Voting without being fully informed is the worst form of negligence. Listen to as many different news sources as you have time for. Seek out contrary opinions. Check your bias. Read history. Read science. Find a trusted analyst to sift the news for you, explain it, and put it in context. Look for errors in their logic. Ask for supporting evidence. Most of all, actually think.

Logic. Love. Liberty.

There are numerous organizations out there that claim to expose hoaxes, rumors, and lies. They call themselves fact-checkers. Beware!

Fact-checkers are only as good as their sources, but not everyone agrees on which sources are reliable. Fact-checkers will also use bad logic. Sometimes they are biased in their selection of which statements get checked.

Fact-checkers that rate the severity of the lies can show other forms of bias. At Politifact, in years past, I noticed that when some fringe Republican said something in a way that wasn’t quite right, it was rated just as egregious as when Democratic leadership made wild accusations with clearly malicious intent that were the exact opposite of the truth.

Don’t trust fact-checkers. Listen to as many sources of news as you have time for. Listen to all sides of an issue. Then use logic to eliminate the most obvious lies. It’s okay not to know everything; it’s better than knowing falsehoods.

Logic. Love. Liberty.

Not all of us have the time or resources to do experiments ourselves and not all of us have the education to understand how to interpret the results. This is why we have scientists to tell us what is true. Often, the best policy is to trust what they say.

Unfortunately, those with agendas good and bad have learned that they can convince people to believe them if they claim that scientists support their view. “Trust the science,” they say.

Don’t get confused! Scientists often do not all agree with each other and long-standing models of nature have been overturned before. Scientists are humans just like anyone else and can be blackmailed or bribed into lying. Those with the ability to give grant money set the tone. Scientists can hold on to long-discredited theories for ego, and scientists can rush to embrace a new, untested theory for the same reason. They can even make genuine mistakes. It has happened before.

Science is one of the best ways to learn truth because it involves challenging assumptions and holding all things tentatively. Only those theories surviving after every attempt to disprove them are considered probable. I trust the science; it’s the scientists I don’t trust.

In politics, we play with the lives of other people. Those we vote for will put in place policies that might make the difference between life and death, imprisonment and freedom, or poverty and riches. Voting without being fully informed is the worst form of negligence. Listen to as many different news sources as you have time for. Seek out contrary opinions. Check your bias. Read history. Read science. Find a trusted analyst to sift the news for you, explain it, and put it in context. Look for errors in their logic. Ask for supporting evidence. Most of all, actually think.

Logic. Love. Liberty.

It happens often in the news that someone is accused of some crime. Usually, they deny it. While cases of genuine mistakes do occur, most of the time denying one’s guilt is to accuse one’s accusers of the crime of false accusation. In other words, two parties have accused each other of wrongdoing.

What I find strangely inexplicable is how people are quick to believe one accusation and not the other. They are quick to believe one guilty of rape, murder, child pornography, embezzlement, fraud, or bribery, but so resistant to believe one capable of perjury. They do this without evidence and even in spite of strong evidence to the contrary. They do this when they do not know either party personally, were not witnesses, and only know of the story from the news. It happens not only with accusations of criminal infractions, but with social rule-breaking as well, such as using racist language or having secret motives in something they did. It is completely illogical.

People’s lives can be destroyed by false accusations even if they keep out of jail, making it hard for them to find a job or move freely in public, yet most people pile on. It’s evil.

Admit you don’t know when you don’t know. Don’t be quick to rush to judgment. Don’t uncritically accept one accusation and deny the other. Don’t be stupid.

In politics, we play with the lives of other people. Those we vote for will put in place policies that might make the difference between life and death, imprisonment and freedom, or poverty and riches. Voting without being fully informed is the worst form of negligence. Listen to as many different news sources as you have time for. Seek out contrary opinions. Check your bias. Read history. Read science. Find a trusted analyst to sift the news for you, explain it, and put it in context. Look for errors in their logic. Ask for supporting evidence. Most of all, actually think.

Logic. Love. Liberty.

History is complicated. With millions of people running around doing things, there is a lot happening at once. In order to tell a story that finite minds can comprehend, some facts must be left out. Events must be cherry-picked that fit the story. A narrative must be imposed. This does not necessarily make a lie; but it does make a partial truth.

It is true that some Americans used to own slaves and that most slaves were of African descent. It is also true that some people fought to keep slavery a viable institution, and that laws were enacted to keep slaves dependent (such as the anti-literacy laws). It is also true that when slavery officially ended, racial discrimination continued and new forms of exploitation arose, such as “wage slavery.” It is also true that white supremacists continue to live in America to this day. That America has long been a nation of white supremacy is one narrative.

It is also true that every human culture on every continent once had slavery in some form. Sometimes they were kin. Sometimes they were captured from enemy tribes. Africans bought and sold other Africans for thousands of years before Arab merchants carried them across the sea in crowded ships. It was Western civilization that first began to break the pattern. Christianity taught that God loved all people. The American Declaration of Independence claimed all men were created equal. Many American founders wanted to end slavery nationwide from the beginning, but for political expediency agreed to a compromise that allowed each state to decide for itself. Eventually a civil war was fought to end the practice. Since then, great strides have been made to end discrimination and segregation of all kinds. Cultural contributions from all over the world have mixed to give rise to a uniquely American culture copied around the world. Blacks have given us much of our trends in fashion, slang, and music, while Italians have given us culinary delights and Jews have given us comedy. Interracial marriage is common. That America has led the way in inclusiveness is another narrative.

Be careful not to jump to conclusions from only hearing one side of history. There’s a lot going on at once.

In politics, we play with the lives of other people. Those we vote for will put in place policies that might make the difference between life and death, imprisonment and freedom, or poverty and riches. Voting without being fully informed is the worst form of negligence. Listen to as many different news sources as you have time for. Seek out contrary opinions. Check your bias. Read history. Read science. Find a trusted analyst to sift the news for you, explain it, and put it in context. Look for errors in their logic. Ask for supporting evidence. Most of all, actually think.

Logic. Love. Liberty.

One of the biggest obstacles to understanding those of other political persuasions are the symbols they use. Don’t get confused!

To some people, the confederate flag stands for slavery, racism, and oppression. To others, it stands for patriotic love of the place they live in and the people they live near, remembering the historical traditions that bind the generations, and most of all, the fight against the oppression and quasi-slavery of the north when it forced its will on the southern states on many issues and not just slavery. Don’t assume everyone that waves it is a racist, and don’t assume that everyone that wants to take it down hates freedom.

To some people, the American flag stands for all Americans and burning it is something akin to treason. To others, people and land come with no flags attached and it represents only the formal government institutions they wish to protest. Don’t assume that all flag-burners hate America, and don’t assume that those who wave it agree with everything that America has ever done.

To some people, the term “Happy Holidays” is a quick way of saying “Happy Halloween, Thanksgiving, Hanukah, Christmas, and New Year!” It refers to multiple holidays that take place in a relatively short period of time. To others, it is a way of avoiding mentioning Christ, and therefore a way of expressing anti-Christian sentiment. Don’t assume everyone who says “Happy Holidays” is trying to convert you to atheism, and don’t assume that everyone who says “Merry Christmas” is trying to convert you to Christianity.

To some people, writing “X-mas” is a shorter way to write Christmas that is very helpful when filling out hundreds of cards. To others, it is yet another way to avoid mentioning Christ. Don’t make assumptions!

It amazes me that statements never considered controversial before can trigger tantrums in people once someone they don’t like has started using it. “Make America Great Again” is a statement that everyone should be able to agree with, but wear this phrase on a red hat and you just might be physically attacked. Likewise, “Black Lives Matter” and “All Lives Matter” should be among the least controversial statements ever made in history, yet now they are some of the most controversial.

I have noticed that most people are programmed like robots. They respond in predictable ways when hearing certain phrases, whether their response fits the context or the way you used the phrase at all. At least three times I have been in a discussion of how widespread “liberal” ideas are and mentioned that a Democrat (either Al Gore or Hillary Clinton) had won the popular vote, only losing the election because of the way the voters are geographically distributed in the Electoral College. I had obviously brought up the vote only to support the idea that “liberalism” is very popular. All three times, my conversation partner interrupted me with a lecture on how we do not elect presidents by popular vote, even making inane statements such as, “There’s no such thing as the popular vote!”

When interpreting someone’s words, remember the context. Remember what they said before, what you said before, and the type of person they are. Remember the purpose of the conversation. Actually think. Don’t be a robot. Don’t be stupid.

In politics, we play with the lives of other people. Those we vote for will put in place policies that might make the difference between life and death, imprisonment and freedom, or poverty and riches. Voting without being fully informed is the worst form of negligence. Listen to as many different news sources as you have time for. Seek out contrary opinions. Check your bias. Read history. Read science. Find a trusted analyst to sift the news for you, explain it, and put it in context. Look for errors in their logic. Ask for supporting evidence. Most of all, actually think.

Logic. Love. Liberty.

We may disagree on politics. This can actually be a good thing. I can’t be everywhere at once and it would help to compare notes with someone who listens to different news sources than I. You may know some things about the candidates that I do not, and I may know some things that you do not. I want to make the best possible choice based on the best possible evidence. I welcome debate because bringing up points for analysis and rebuttal is a great way to get to the truth. If we are both honest, we should be able to reach an agreement. Ideally, we should be in political agreement as much as possible.

It may also be that on certain types of issues we cannot reach a resolution. For example, I have studied a great deal about creationism and evolutionism and have come to the conclusion that the bible is basically right. I remember finding overwhelming evidence for this. Unfortunately, this was so many years ago that I can no longer remember every bit of evidence, every counterargument, and how large sets of facts fit together. I might not be able to convince anybody today. In this case, the best thing is for both of us to keep an open mind and remain uncommitted to any position. If it is truly important, I can always go back and learn everything over again. This will take years. We should not be quick to jump to conclusions based on the first paper we read.

There are also certain issues that cannot by their very nature be decided by one person. No one person can know all the ways that new immigrants both harm and help us. It takes the cumulative experience of everyone in the country that has to deal with them in order to know how high to set the number of admissions per year. You are free to have a different opinion because I understand that you have had different experiences.

It is also okay not to be interested in politics or science. Not everybody can do everything. We can divide up the work. You can cook and I can wash the dishes. You can balance the checkbook and I can do the voting and activism. There is nothing wrong with a lack of opinion if you are uninformed. In fact, keeping an open mind is the wise thing to do when lacking data.

There are only a few things that bother me. Jumping to conclusions and holding them tightly in spite of evidence to the contrary is one. Believing in contradictions is another. Refusing to even listen to my side of the story is another. Getting confused by language and thinking the symbols we use to represent things are the things themselves is another. Being evil and showing no respect for other people really pisses me off. Because in politics we play with the lives of other people – whether or not we should go to war, what behaviors should be illegal, what should be done with those that continue to engage in such behaviors, and what should be done with those who resist – it is not a light, pleasant conversation that we can have over tea. Politics is simply war by other means. If you hurt others, I will stop you by whatever means necessary. Just because I love you does not mean I can bring myself to hate those you hate. I will do everything practical to protect you, but if you commit yourself to supporting evil candidates in order to perpetuate injustice, I can make no guarantees. I must allow people the chance to defend themselves, and if they are unable, I will do it for them. If we are going to get along, you must use logic and common sense. If you repeat nonsense political slogans, I will have a very hard time trusting your judgment and sanity. This means I will be nervous allowing you to watch the kids by yourself. I will be nervous allowing you access to the bank account. I will not even want to let you in the house, thinking you might burn it down or try to kill me.

These principles also apply to non-political conversations, such as arguments over what to have for dinner. Basically, don’t be evil and don’t be stupid and we should get along fine.

At heart, I am an explorer. I want to know things. I want to know where the trail leads. I want to know how the world works. I seek out new ideas. I love truth.

In the world of politics, where power is involved, truth is in short supply. In the past, this has caused me to retreat from political involvement and pursue other interests. Politics has never been my primary hobby. I only began researching the issues because every adult in my early life seemed to think it was my patriotic duty. I have better things to do, such as highlighting the good in the world or creating art. Unfortunately, just because I leave others alone, this does not mean others will leave me alone. Corrupt officials have harassed me before.

I first started The Understanding Project in 2010 to promote civility, unity, tolerance, compromise, pragmatism, and most of all, understanding. It was to be a safe place for those of different party alignments to dialogue and reach an agreement. By 2013, I saw that it was a total failure and I gave up on it.

In 2020, I decided to bring back the blog, but with some changes. I now offer it only as an educational service in how to analyze news media and discern truth from falsehood. There is a great need for this. Young people who have yet to build up biases will not know which news outlets to believe. When different news outlets accuse each other of lying, or when they don’t even cover the same stories so coverage can be compared, knowing the truth can be hard. It may seem overwhelming. I will use logic to explain how people can do their own research.

New posts will be coming soon. In the meantime, peruse the original blog here.