Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
The terms misinformation, disinformation and lies fall into the category of Shakespeare's “A rose by any other name.”
Many poets and playwrights avail themselves of poetic license to shade the truth and enhance the plot.
The other day, for example, while watching a movie, I heard a Marine drill instructor tell a recruit, “Don’t call me sir. I’m a sergeant.” I almost dropped my coffee cup.
“Sir” was all we ever called our drill instructors.
That’s a bit of misinformation. Prior to 1973, when the military draft was suspended, most male movie goers would have had military service and would have known that. At any rate, it’s a minor issue, and would only cause heartburn to an old retired gunnery sergeant.
What is presented as news today is not misinformation or disinformation, it’s often lies. And those lies, told often enough, become truth to people who get their information and history lessons from movies and video games. This phenomenon can cause citizens as well as elected leaders to make decisions based on inaccurate information.
A few days ago, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, with his wife beside him, addressed the Canadian Parliament. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was also present. During the session, Yaraslov Hunka, a Ukrainian-Canadian citizen, was given a standing ovation, led by the speaker of Parliament, Trudeau and Zelensky.
In the news clip, I watched the reporter breathlessly intone that Hunka was being honored for “fighting for Ukraine’s independence against the Russians” during World War II.
As it happens, the Russians were on Canada’s side during that war. To pour more salt into the wound, it has been determined that the honoree was a member of the Waffen SS. In other words, the Canadian Parliament was cheering wildly for a former Nazi.
Evidently, no one thought to evaluate Hunka’s bona fides.
Prime Minister Trudeau explained that the speaker has apologized for this faux pax, implying that he had nothing to do with the choice of honorees. He further noted that it was important to push back against Russian propaganda. Exactly what the Russians had to do with the choice of who is honored by the Canadian Parliament he left unsaid.
Misinformation, disinformation or lies. A Polish government minister has launched a bid to extradite Hunka, the Ukrainian-Canadian man who fought in a German-Nazi division during World War II.
Rube Render is a former Clovis city commissioner and former chair of the Curry County Republican Party. Contact him:
