How low do our standards sink?
British political journalist Mehdi Hasan raised an interesting point in a recent interview with former White House Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci. In discussing Donald Trump’s second impeachment trial, Hasan suggested that over time, the media, numb to Trump’s low standards, started grading him on a curve, and wondered if we are holding the whole Republican party to the same low standards.
Scaramucci agreed, but haven’t we all lowered our standards over time? As a baby-boomer, I’m well acquainted with being “graded on a curve.”
I once received a “B-” on a Science test with 68% because more than half the class studied even less than I did.
Curve grading extends beyond impeachment trials. The late Marion Barry Jr. served three terms as Mayor of Washington D.C., entered jail on a drug charge, then won a fourth term as mayor. Virginia legislator Joseph Morrisey won his bid for re-election to the state House of Delegates in 2014 despite serving jail time for contributing to the delinquency of a minor. He ran his campaign from jail. Despite the Monica Lewinsky scandal, President Bill Clinton left office with a 66% approval rating. The Trump administration begat several books on sinking standards.
Academics, ethics, sports, and interpersonal relations are all subject to curve grading. It’s easy to mock the Marion Barry’s of the world, but someone, fully aware of their indiscretions, re-elected them anyway.
Long ago, there was another standard: “Fool me once, shame on you …”
— Jim Newton, Itasca, Ill.
Pondering lies and insurrections
You may remember the big election lie which caused the Capitol riot. Trumpster: “The only way I can lose this election is if it is rigged.” “The election was stolen.” Sydney Powell: “Dominion voting machines changed massive amounts of voter tallies.”
Now after losing 60 court cases and being faced with a billion dollar defamation suit, Powell says: “No reasonable person would believe those claims.” So I’m innocent of defamation, she claims.
Compare this to John 13: 18 … “But it is to fulfill scripture, ‘The one who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me.’ I tell you this now, before it occurs, so that when it does occur you may believe that I am he.”
Now we don’t have time machines to take judges back 2000 years to take depositions and issue rulings on the veracity of claims. But this does sound like the mother of all lies. Or as Sydney Powell would say: “No reasonable person would believe this.”
— Bill Cain, Terre Haute
The real truth in Georgia voter law
Mr. Walt Conner, you need to get your facts correct before making untrue remakes about my Readers’ Forum, so I will straighten you out with the no fake-news here, “all truth.”
The new Georgia election integrity law of 2021 clearly states: It is illegal to give food or water to any Georgia voter waiting in line to vote. Breaking the law is punishable by up to a year in prison and a $1,000 fine. You might want to Google the law and read it. You might want to stop living the big lie, Trump is gone
— Charlie Barth, Terre Haute
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