Let’s Agree on Reality
To the editor:
Glynis Tietjen’s recent letter is a masterclass in the “alternative facts,” unsupported by any legitimate source which has become all too common in our local discourse. While everyone is entitled to an opinion, nobody is entitled to their own set of facts, especially when those claims are easily debunked by data and a simple internet search. It seems some are simply allergic to reality when it threatens a preferred worldview.
Let’s start with the first mistruth: the claim that gas and grocery prices went up the “minute Joe Biden took office.” This is demonstrably false. Inflation was a global phenomenon triggered by post-pandemic supply chain disruptions. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), inflation peaked in 2022 and had been steadily declining for two years before the current administration ever took office. Claiming credit for a cooling trend that began years before Trump’s second term is just simply dishonest.
Next, the assertion that “thousands of lost children” are suddenly being found is a baseless conspiracy theory. This stems from a misunderstanding of HHS data regarding “unaccompanied minors” placed with sponsors. Being “unable to reach a sponsor via a follow-up call” is not the same as a child being “lost.” If we want to talk about real tragedies, I’m old enough to remember the first Trump term, where the “Zero Tolerance” policy purposely ripped thousands of children from their parents. According to the American Immigration Council, the government, the Trump administration in specific, failed to create a tracking system to link those parents and children, leaving hundreds of families separated for years because the administration literally lost track of who belonged to whom. This is pure projection of what actually happened under the first Trump administration confused with what is falsely claimed to have happened under the Biden administration... and again, a simple internet search could have given you these facts.
Then, Ms. Tietjen claims the border was “open without any vetting” for four years. This is a complete fabrication. Title 42 and strict asylum restrictions remained in place, and CBP data shows millions of deportations occurred under the previous administration. Furthermore, multiple studies from the Cato Institute and the Department of Justice consistently show that undocumented immigrants have significantly lower incarceration rates for violent crimes than nativeborn U.S. citizens.
Finally, the suggestion that the drug cartel is being stopped “left and right” ignores the reality that the vast majority of fentanyl (over 90%) is seized at legal ports of entry, often smuggled by U.S. citizens, not people “walking across the border” (Source: CBP Enforcement Statistics). And again, a simple internet search could have provided you with these actual facts, but when those facts threaten your worldview therefore they must be manipulated and distorted.
We can disagree on policy, but we should at least agree on reality. Using the “Letters to the Editor” section to spread easily disproven misinformation, unsupported by any sort of reliable source, does a disservice to our entire community. Honesty matters. Reliability matters. Facts matter.