This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
My fellow Americans, this is a plea: Insist on truth. When truth is in peril, our entire system of precious rights and freedoms is threatened. Truth and our way of life is imperiled because of the person we elected as president of the United States.
We should have been wary during the 2016 campaign when Donald Trump's statements were found to be 78 percent incorrect, and when he made promises that were blatantly contradictory: cut taxes for everyone, eliminate the national debt, assure health care for all, increase spending on both social policies and national defense. We should have been warned when Trump repeatedly deified himself: "I alone can solve it." "I am your voice."
America has a president who is saying things that are not just ignorant and cruel, but simply wrong. He is personally targeting individuals for their right to question his policies, for their right to free speech. He is attempting to damage the free and independent press because they do not agree with his many narrow and discriminatory mandates.
Insist on truth. Trump is aided by the universality of social media. Although wonderful in many ways, social media foments the national attitude that truth doesn't matter. Anyone can say anything on the internet without regard to actual fact. Unfortunately, these many "alternate truths" are read and believed by thousands.
Insist on truth and speak out. It is your right and must be preserved. Speak out for serious fact-finding and for the preservation of our precious freedoms. Speak out for truth.
Ellie Ienatsch
Sandy