The Test

The president and his press secretary have made allegations of broad-based election fraud. However, in court, Trump’s lawyers back away from actually asserting fraud or conspiracy. Attorneys, who are officers of the court are restrained by professional ethics, rules of civil procedure and rules of evidence. They could face sanctions from the court.

This is a good example of what each of us individuals and our social networks should do. Yes, it is one thing to have opinions, to say whatever you want, to present “alternative facts”, to believe conspiracy theories; but there comes a point where all of those assertions must give way to professionalism and basic rules.

It is both the professionals and the traditional rules that people have come to despise. I was in Junior High School. Our teacher had made a statement in a history class about which a classmate disagreed. An argument ensued in which the teacher tried to explain that he had studied history longer than my 14-year-old colleague and should be listened to on this point. My friend complained: “I have a right to my opinion.” That is what is going on in our social-political life. One’s opinion is thought to trump (sorry, couldn’t avoid that) a professional’s knowledge.

When I was teaching, I simply told the class that right or wrong, the textbook had the last word. They had a right to their opinion (We were studying World Religions) but the text would be the standard they must meet when I gave a test. I am sure that my Junior High classmate eventually had to meet that standard as well. In the same way, the president’s attorneys have to give way to their assertions when they stand before a judge in a court of law.

We do not let just anybody write a textbook. A professional or group of professionals who stand in the stream of teaching authority and academic tradition are usually called upon. The text must also meet the standards of the knowledgeable teachers that will recommend its use. Our accredited, academic institutions are responsible for training those teachers and providing a forum for those professionals to question each other and review each other’s work.

Some of us have chosen to go with my classmate’s “I have a right to my opinion.” approach. That is their right. They will despise the “elites”, the professionals that try to hammer out the truth no matter how inconvenient it may be. They rail against the rules, insisting that they are free and no one can tell them what they can do or not do. They will tune in to whatever bolsters what they already believe.

Then comes the test…