LETTERS

Are we loyal to tribe,

or to truth?

Editor, The Beacon: Whom do you trust? I'm not thinking of political leaders. I'm referring to people. Whether they go to church is as irrelevant as their political party. What matters is whether they put their beliefs above evidence. Do they put tribe above truth?

If they are unwilling to look at evidence, then the answer is beware. We all choose what we believe. But if we're unwilling to put evidence above ourselves, we can't even trust ourselves. We're all tempted to do it. You know who I am talking about because we are related to them. They are our friends and neighbors. They are nice people. Need examples? Think of someone you know who will believe allegations from their favorite "fact" source, but won't watch testimony sworn under oath if they think it threatens their belief.

Telling lies is not against the law. False testimony under oath is. That's why some people do everything they can to avoid it.

Cross-examination makes the veracity even stronger. If it's the truth you fear, don't watch.

Do you know anyone who refused to watch the Jan. 6 hearings, even though they had an opportunity? I know lots of them. Some even send me uncorroborated stories they found on the internet. If it conforms to what they want to believe, they swallow it like the Gospel truth.

All propagandists know that if you repeat a lie often enough, people will believe it. We witness today the ease of spreading lies. Millions believe the last election was stolen based on allegations without evidence.

Reich Minister of Propaganda Joseph Goebbels once said, "The more absurd the lie, the more people will believe it." QAnon conspiracy anyone?

Voltaire wrote during the reign of terror following the French Revolution more than 200 years ago: "Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities."

Remember Jan. 6. Times may have changed. But people haven't. If you have been following the evidence, you know the former president knew he lost the 2020 election while he was (and still is) telling people he didn't.

He knows his audience. He actually has two: those who believe what he says because they need to be lied to; and those who don't care if it's true because they want power.

So, don't blame poor Donald anymore. He was merely the original tumor. The tumor has metastasized. And they are easy to spot.

James Tweed Ocean City, New Jersey

No help for

homeowners here

Editor, The Beacon: Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Republican-controlled state Legislature recently touted their solution to our increasing cost of homeowners property insurance. They did everything that the insurance industry asked.

They subsidized reinsurance with taxpayer money, curtailed the ability of homeowners to litigate insurance settlements, and threw homeowners off Citizens Property Insurance into the private-insurance market. All said and done, the insurance industry got their steak, and homeowners got the gristle.

Nothing in the recent legislation was designed to lower the cost of homeowners insurance. Rather, everything was designed to keep insurance companies "in the gravy."

For years, insurance companies collected exorbitant premiums without any payments for hurricanes. Now, they have a sympathetic governor and Legislature that will do their bidding.

Attempts by Democrats to amend legislation to freeze or subsidize homeowners policy premiums were voted down by the Republican majority.

Shame on the chameleons who claim to help the homeowner!

Chuck Oakwood DeLand

Democrats didn't

attack the Capitol

Editor, The Beacon: The media are missing the big story about the 2022 elections.

It isn't that Republican George Santos lied. How is that a story?

The big story is that Democrats lost the House, but their supporters did not attack the Capitol and beat police with American flags to stop the swearing-in. Delaying the swearing-in was done by right-wing extremist Republicans.

Sam Sloss DeLand