Facts Matter as a Matter of Fact

So, three times in a week.  Three times in a single week I've seen some glaring examples, from people in my radius, of something very disturbing; confusing facts with opinions.

A customer came in and, as I usually do, we got to talking.  He asked how my business was going and it led to discussion about the economy.  During the course of our talk I'd point out things that were true about our country, things that can be measured, counted, observed, verified, and are in no way shape or form subject to interpretation, and he'd respond with; "Well, that's just your opinion.".  But... it's not.  Economic disparity is there, wage stagnation is there, illegal employment is there, and outsourcing is there.  It can all be shown.  Clearly.

So here's a neutral example; the fact that Forte' is surviving as a business despite a recession isn't an opinion.  It's a fact.  I can count how much money I need to make it.  I can count how much money I made.  I can see that one is larger than the other and make a declaration that is TRUE.  Now, will this always be the case?  Hopefully, but I didn't say Forte' would survive forever.  I said it's surviving, and there is no denying that.  To argue against truth is fundamentally idiotic.  It is to argue against reality itself.  If I put a box on a scale, and it says it weighs 10 pounds, you can't really argue it's not a 10 pound box.  Okay, maybe you can say the scale is wrong and we weigh it with another scale.  Again, 10 pounds.  Eventually, if it IS 10 pounds, you can't logically argue that it isn't.

Now, we could argue about why the fact exists.  He may believe Forte' does well as a result of divine blessing and I may believe it's a result of hard work.  We can argue that under different political leadership I'd be doing better or worse.  We can argue about how the box got to be so heavy.  But central to the argument is the fact.  Until there is agreement on reality, discussion about reality cannot exist.

Yesterday in Wisconsin the Governor repealed an Equal Pay law.  The Senator who sponsored/created it came out today and said that there is no such thing as gender discrimination, that it's a myth.  The problem is, that can be checked.  Women nationally make, on average, 20% less than men doing equivalent work.  This can be checked, verified, counted.  It is true.  Now, he could have come out saying he didn't care, or he didn't believe the reason they made less was sexism, or any other argument about why that fact shouldn't matter enough to create a law equalizing women, but what he can't do, logically, is deny that it's happening.  It's happening.

It's the same thing with climate change.  It's happening.  Why is up for some debate, but not the fact that it's happening.  The economic recovery.  It's happening.  Debate why, but you can't deny it.  Women's rights are being diminished.  It's happening.  Count the number of laws presented now compared to the past.  Easy to check.  The military budget is still the biggest expenditure of our country.  True.  Can't truthfully say it's something else.

There have been more instances of politicians calling facts opinions than any other time in recent American history (fact). This trend is infiltrating from out out of our politics and into our general culture (opinion).  I think the growing inability to recognize, accept, and deal with reality is a pretty big problem.  Massive even.

You can't make facts go away just by saying they're not true.  You have to face them, decide what you think about them, analyze how they came about, and set your future course based on your observations.  You can't play ostrich and put your head in a hole, cover your ears, and ignore it.  Well... you can, but you're not playing in reality any more.  You're off in your own little world based on things that aren't true.  And where are we going to wind up if we've all got blinders on, willfully seeing only what we want, not what is real?

So the question is, even if you don't like it; can you handle the truth?


Oh, and in case you were curious.

fact: [fakt] noun

1. something that actually exists; reality; truth: Your fears have no basis in fact.

2. something known to exist or to have happened: Space travel is now a fact.

3. a truth known by actual experience or observation; something known to be true: Scientists gather facts about plant growth.
opinion: [uh-pin-yuhn] noun

1. a belief or judgment that rests on grounds insufficient to produce complete certainty.

2. a personal view, attitude, or appraisal.

3.the formal expression of a professional judgment: to ask for a second medical opinion.