_LETTER TO THE EDITOR • INTER-COUNTY LEADER OCT. 3

Facts vs. opinions

 Bob Blake, of rural Frederic, mocked me in a recent letter. That wasn’t nice, Mr. Blake. Some who read your letter and have followed your history of pontificating, in capital letters, quotation marks and, dare I say, caught the irony. You are the second to the last person in the county for whom my letter was intended. 
 As you noted, I called upon good, moderate Republicans to vote Democrat this year, to get the attention of party leaders, to wrest power from the extremists who have perverted the conservative message.  Blake, I only know you from years of seeing  long-winded opinions that rarely can be supported factually.    I cannot judge whether or not you are "good" However, would Leader readers ever in their wildest dreams describe you as “moderate?" Point taken?
 I stopped reading your rants long ago, although I wouldn’t be surprised to learn you still maintain that the Neocons’ and President Bush’s two wars were necessary  because of weapons of mass destruction.  Pay no mind to cost of countless lives and trillions of dollars,  diehard partisans are not going to change just by learning facts.
 After nationwide criticisms of lies in Ryan’s acceptance speech,  Neil Newhouse, a Romney pollster said,  "We're not going to let our campaign be dictated by fact-checkers." Fair enough, GOP announcements are just one person’s opinions, and they  might change tomorrow.
 My opinions are for trivial matters.  Do you prefer s’mores or chocolate cake at a picnic?  When it comes to making up my mind about matters that will affect the common good – health, safety, well being – I prefer truth and specifics and, let’s just say it, facts that can be accepted by reasonable persons.   (“Now, there’s another out for you, Blake,” she said, with a twinkle in her eye.)
 I fact checked a few statements you made and can only say, “good grief.” Are your sources, Limbaugh? Beck? One of the totally unfair and unbalanced media outlets?   Line after line of exaggerations, misinformation and words taken out of context.   I’m reminded of a current Internet letter citing Obama’s faults.  The original was written in 2000.  Obama’s name was Gore then.  Diehard partisans?
 Blake,  a suggestion: If you want to be taken seriously by thoughtful readers, support one or two comments with the source of your information.   
Finally, as penance for mocking a nice, elderly lady, memorize this couplet,   “Words are like leaves; where they most abound, much fruit of sense beneath is rarely found.”  Alexander Pope.
Think about it, at least.

Marilyn Brissett-Kruger
St. Croix Falls