To the Editor:
Our mission as citizens is to protect our country by actively seeking and telling the truth. But that’s not popular.
We passively consume cable and internet news that too often muddy facts with omissions, lies and disinformation usually told by politicians, whose campaigns are financed by private interest groups.
This tactic is not new. The facts about cigarette smoking were muddied for five decades before most of us finally believed the facts.
Our biases, beliefs, fears, misunderstanding and emotions get in the way of clear thinking. According to this year’s presidential post-election polls, most voters paid scant attention to policy issues in 2016 but instead to hyperbolic political rhetoric.
We demanded change based on ungrounded opinions. Meaningful change needs clear strategies based on clearly debated facts and grounded opinions. Many voters cast their ballots hoping for something better.
Now the direction of our country is up for political grabs: our education, healthcare, environment, and national security could be at risk. For example, will offshore drilling plans, recently curtailed by President Obama’s executive order, be rescinded in South Carolina? Such action would threaten our beautiful environment, tourism, and fisheries.
To save ourselves we must challenge what we read and hear by being skeptical about any news that does not come from trusted news sources such as those newspapers and publications that provide verifiable, distinctive journalism and hold powerful people accountable.
The most important safeguard to protecting our country and democracy is an informed, engaged citizenry not afraid of the truth.
Denise Visconti
Bluffton
To the Editor:
We entered and exited 2016 with the Dr. Jeffrey Moss, Superintendent of the Beaufort County School District, issue still causing considerable unrest throughout the County. Unfortunately the majority of the Beaufort County School Board has failed to respond to their constituents in the resolution of this situation.
As we now enter 2017, the Superintendent’s and Board’s actions will continue to be seen through the prism of the nepotism hiring issue.
Certainly the taxpayers, employees and students of the county School District should be able to look at the leader of the system with pride and to trust that his actions are not motivated by personal greed. Unfortunately, that is not the case and the Board needs to once and for all resolve this issue.
Certainly there are equally competent candidates for the Superintendent’s position who can be counted on to display ethical behavior in all of their actions.
Michael F. Vezeau
Bluffton
