OPINION READER’S FORUM
Founded in 1906
WEDNESDAY, JULY 8, 2020
A4
EDITOR’S DESK
Sorting fact from fi ction is harder than ever
S
omeone once said that a lie can travel
Second, read the article.
halfway around the world while the
This may sound like simple advice, but as
truth is still putting on its shoes.
someone who writes the articles I can tell you
It may have been Mark Twain. Or Jonathan
that many, many people skip this step. They
Swift. Or Winston Churchill. All of them have
then respond with a comment full of inaccu-
been credited with inventing the saying, which
racies, which others who also didn’t read the
in and of itself proves the diffi culty of fi nding
article then assume was part of the article, per-
truth.
petuating the cycle of misinformation.
Wherever the witticism came from, at
I once saw an article about a profes-
no time has it felt more literal than in the
sor getting fi red that had dozens of com-
age of the internet, when the push of a
ments underneath arguing over whether he
single button can broadcast a lie around
should have lost his job.
the world in an instant.
The professor was a woman.
Jade
To make matters more complicated,
Next, be willing to change your mind.
McDowell
the world isn’t divided into truths and
The
human mind has a natural instinct,
NEWS EDITOR
outright, intentional lies. Sometimes the
called confi rmation bias, to automatically
truth is also buried in piles of well-inten-
dismiss any information that opposes our
tioned but false conclusions, outdated informa-
beliefs as false and anything that confi rms our
tion, half-truths, incorrect assumptions, things
worldview as true.
that are only true in certain circumstances and
People who are good at fi nding the truth are
things that are technically true but were taken
also good at overcoming confi rmation bias.
out of context.
They are able to listen to diverse viewpoints
In those conditions, it is a wonder any of us
and read information from opposing sources
is ever really right about anything.
with an open mind, looking for logic and evi-
So, how can we fi nd the truth in such a
dence rather than what makes them feel good.
world? The fi rst step is having the same com-
Part of that process is actively seeking infor-
mitment to accuracy in our own lives that we
mation from a variety of good-quality sources.
hold our journalists, scientists and other pro-
Primary sources are best — if you want to
fessionals to.
know what the Centers for Disease Control
My Facebook friends know I’m quick to
and Prevention says about COVID-19 test-
comment on their posts, sources in hand, to let
ing, go to the CDC website. Second best is to
them know that the quote they posted is fake
read multiple news reports from quality news
or the “news” article about a politician they
outlets with a reputation for accuracy, written
hate never happened. People may think this is
by named journalists with experience cover-
some sort of journalistic superpower, but often
ing the subject and fi rsthand knowledge of the
debunking something takes a 10-second Goo-
situation.
gle search for a few key phrases from the post.
The more mysterious a source, the more sus-
It’s the same thing I do before sharing, and I
pect it is. You will rarely fi nd truth in anon-
cannot tell you how many times it has saved
ymous, undated “articles” on little-known
me from embarrassment.
websites that attribute their information with
COLUMN
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
No work and no play makes Tammy ...
I
’m starting to come down
“Carrots grow underground.”
with something. Don’t worry,
He had taken a photo of his
it’s not the ‘rona — I have a
jalapeño peppers and held his
severe case of cabin fever.
hand up for size reference. In my
During past lapses in employ-
defense, I hadn’t been awake very
ment, I did everything from
long and hadn’t consumed
watching spring training
my morning Pepsi yet.
baseball in Arizona and
While watching TV,
Christmas shopping in San
I fi nd some commer-
Francisco to skiing in four
cials intriguing — result-
different states and rid-
ing in random thoughts and
ing a bobsled and mush-
over-thinking.
ing a dogsled team in Col-
I’m baffl ed that toi-
Tammy
orado. At one point, my
let paper companies would
Malgesini
husband, John, asked if I
even waste their money
ever planned on going back
with advertising during the
to work.
months of April and May. The
Being jobless during a pan-
shortage that resulted from panic
demic is totally different. Public
buying led people to purchase
offi cials and medical profession-
whatever they could actually fi nd
als highly recommend that people
on the shelf.
limit excursions to essential travel.
John bought an off-brand that
I think I could make a case that
says it’s made from bamboo. When
I’m going to lose my marbles if I
I visualize bamboo, I don’t think
don’t get a change of scenery.
it’s something I would want to uti-
My writing might soon be rem- lize on my bum. However, nothing
iniscent of Jack Torrance from
could be as bad as the 40-grit TP in
“The Shining” — “All work and
the newsroom bathroom.
no play makes Jack a dull boy.”
A common theme these days
I think John was getting a lit-
for pizza places is touting their
tle worried the other day when
contactless delivery. In addition,
showing me a photo of his gar-
they ensure potential customers
den. Holding up his cellphone, my that after the pizza comes out of
eyes were fi xated on fl esh-colored
the oven, it’s not touched. It makes
tuber-like objects among a mass of me wonder if they were playing
green. I squinted, and then asked if patty cake with my pizza before
they were carrots.
the pandemic.
Staring blankly at me, John
Meanwhile, for those keep-
replied in a matter-of-fact voice,
ing score at home, I received yet
another letter from the Oregon
Employment Department. Despite
explaining my periodic freelance
work, they continue to question
why I reported working a few
hours one week and none the next.
Since they’re obviously incapable
of simply cross-referencing my
weekly claim forms, I’m forced to
go to the post offi ce to buy stamps
and mail their questionnaire.
Also, I once again lost track
of the days and found myself in
line at the drive-thru during a hol-
iday weekend. As annoying as
that was, I was more disturbed by
the vehicle behind me that wasn’t
maintaining appropriate social
distancing.
And about Gov. Kate Brown’s
mask order — people are arguing
that it’s infringing on their con-
stitutional rights. However, they
don’t balk at “No shirt, No shoes,
No service.”
When my mom found out a
local store wasn’t going to insist
that customers comply, I told her
I was going to drive to Coos Bay
and enter the store with just a
mask and shorts on — no shirt, no
shoes. #wearamask
---
Tammy Malgesini, the former
Hermiston Herald community edi-
tor, enjoys spending time with her
husband and two German shep-
herds, as well as entertaining her-
self with random musings.
Proposed shelter a fence line away from sports complex
To the editor:
The only proposed location of the Stepping Stones homeless
shelter is next door to a city park. Helping those facing homeless-
ness is needed and should be in a location away from where our
children play; not next door to our parks.
Drug paraphernalia and needles that are currently littered along
Harper Road and the canal behind the sports complex will inevi-
tably end up in the park and hands of children if Stepping Stones
bulldozes past this glaring concern. Business owners surrounding
the proposed location already battle with theft and drug parapherna-
lia littered by people walking to and from the proposed location. It
is irresponsible, dangerous, and a serious liability to propose such a
location.
As citizens of Hermiston, you are responsible and obliged to
keep our children and families safe.
Please urge Stepping Stones and the city of Hermiston to con-
sider a more safe location.
Kim Cimmiyotti
Portland (formerly Hermiston)
Thanks to fi rst responders
Howdy,
It was interesting driving around on the Fourth of July. I would
like to thank those businesses and private citizens who had Old
Glory fl ying for all to see.
I would also like to thank all those who put on wonderful dis-
plays of fi reworks Friday and Saturday. It sure made my Fourth that
much better! And again, thanks to all the fi rst responders, fi refi ght-
ers and staff who help us be safe!
I would also like to publicly thank the sheriff’s department, city
cops, state police, their offi ce people and each of the auxiliaries
for what they do to keep us safe in our neighborhoods. My expe-
rience with each of the departments through my many years has
been nothing but positive. Actually, when I have asked for advice or
help, you have gone the extra mile.
I am grateful to have you in our communities! I pray for each of
your safety and your family’s welfare! Thank you!
Pa Routson
Umatilla
CORRECTIONS
Printed on
recycled
newsprint
VOLUME 114 • NUMBER 26
Chris Rush | Publisher • crush@eomediagroup.com • 541-278-2669
Jade McDowell | News Editor • jmcdowell@eastoregonian.com • 541-564-4536
Jeanne Jewett | Multi-Media consultant • jjewett@hermistonherald.com • 541-564-4531
Audra Workman | Multi-Media consultant • aworkman@eastoregonian.com • 541-564-4538
To contact the Hermiston Herald for news,
advertising or subscription information:
• call 541-567-6457
• e-mail info@hermistonherald.com
• stop by our offi ces at 333 E. Main St.
• visit us online at: hermistonherald.com
The Hermiston Herald (USPS 242220, ISSN
8750-4782) is published weekly at Hermiston
Herald, 333 E. Main St., Hermiston, OR 97838,
(541) 567-6457.
phrases, such as “police say” without ever
naming a single department or offi cer. Look
for specifi cs in the who, what, when, where,
why and how of the article and if they are not
there, ask yourself why.
Another tip for truth-seekers: Check the
date. A legitimate news article may have been
great information when it was fi rst written, but
no longer accurate now. Look for updates. And
make sure not to get fooled by those posts that
claim the media is “ignoring” the death of an
American soldier or other event, when the real
reason you’re not seeing it in the news now is
it happened six years ago.
Separating fact from fi ction in this world can
be daunting, but remember: The truth is out
there.
Go fi nd it.
Periodical postage paid at Hermiston, OR.
Postmaster, send address changes to
Hermiston Herald, 333 E. Main St.,
Hermiston, OR 97838.
Member of EO Media Group Copyright ©2020
It is the policy of the Hermiston Herald to correct errors as
soon as they are discovered. Incorrect information will be
corrected on Page 2A. Errors commited on the Opinion page
will be corrected on that page. Corrections also are noted in
the online versions of our stories.
Please contact the editor at editor@hermistonherald.com or
call (541) 564-4533 with issues about this policy or to report
errors.
SUBMIT A LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Letters Policy: Letters to the Editor is a forum for the
Hermiston Herald readers to express themselves on local,
state, national or world issues. Brevity is good, but longer
letters should be kept to 250 words.
No personal attacks; challenge the opinion, not the person.
The Hermiston Herald reserves the right to edit letters for
length and for content.
Letters must be original and signed by the writer or writers.
Anonymous letters will not be printed. Writers should include
a telephone number so they can be reached for questions.
Only the letter writer’s name and city of residence will be
published.
OBITUARY POLICY
The Hermiston Herald publishes paid obituaries. The
obituary can include small photos and, for veterans, a
fl ag symbol at no charge. Expanded death notices will be
published at no charge. These include information about
services. Obituaries may be edited for spelling, proper
punctuation and style.
Obituaries and notices may be submitted online at
hermistonherald.com/obituaryform, by email to obits@
hermistonherald.com, by fax to 541-276-8314, placed via the
funeral home or in person at the Hermiston Herald or East
Oregonian offi ces. For more information, call 541-966-0818 or
1-800-522-0255, x221.