OPINION:
Everyone must be open, occasionally, to freshening stale thinking. Accepting false or mistaken ideas can stifle the truth until it eventually worms its way out for all but the most indoctrinated. In the meantime, erroneous thoughts have power, shaping our perceptions and influencing our actions.
One example is the difference between “criminal” and “political.” They’re often confused today. The presidential election of 2024, a pivotal moment in our nation’s history, is a good example. Donald Trump was politically prosecuted, a term for harassment using legal processes for political ends. When he won the election, all charges faded away with only a hint that any would ever be tried.
It’s a crime to knowingly bring false charges, yet it’s a tactic often used by authoritarians like the recently overthrown Syrian dictator Bashar Assad. It’s equally criminal, however, to prosecute innocent people, as Liz Cheney is doing by targeting average Americans for simply touring the Capitol after rioters had dispersed on Jan. 6, 2021. This is an outrage, as is the political prosecution of Mr. Trump.
It’s a stark violation of the rule “Bear no false wittiness against your neighbor.” Witness Mr. Assad, Ms. Cheney, Jack Smith, et al.
FRED STEWART
Grand Junction, Colorado
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