LETTER: Does anybody really know the truth?
In his May 29 letter, Kent Davidson opines that we need more honesty in reporting if we are to preserve our democracy. I agree. But what constitutes truth?
On Court TV, I have seen four bystanders who witnessed an auto accident swear to four different versions of how the accident happened. Could all four be telling the truth?? A person does not have to be lying to mis-state the truth. Perspectives can vary based on your location or position in any matter. That is why cameras have become so prevalent in today’s society.
One picture can be worth a thousand words. But for the situation where no pictures exist, such as in court, the mere sequence in how facts are presented can be persuasive in convincing a juror as to the what the truth is. As the late Roy Cohn, a brilliant defense attorney, once said, “It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it.”
