“THE MANY FACES OF BIAS”

Along with humankind’s countless and much-too-often overlooked “good sides,” come a mixed bag of “much to the contrary” attitudes and behaviors. None the least, the many faces of “bias” —commonly viewed as “prejudices in favor of or against one thing, person, or group compared with another; usually in a way considered to be unfair.” With what is deemed “fair” and “unfair” of course being, so-to-speak, in the eye of the beholder(s).

For example, the partially political cartoon at the top of Page 4, Opinion section, Weekend, Saturday-Sunday, June 26-27, 2021 edition, of our local newspaper, the Parsons Sun. No doubt considered by many to fittingly draw attention to 77-year old (once Trump attorney) Rudy Giuliani’s recent loss of law license.

As others, however, likely view that less biased and more responsible reporting would have also included a cartoon of much more community interest and national concern. Such as, one drawing attention to 78-year old Joe Biden’s (at best, embarrassing and troubling) gaff-afflicted public communications as President of this planet’s most powerful country.

And then, (on same Page 4) there’s the likewise not so subtly biased article titled, “Dispelling the myth of a ‘Christian nation’” — a worthy of read piece artfully articulating the author’s mix of selected facts and opinion. And ending with the words . . . “Any attempt to establish a Christian nation, therefore, always has been and always will be unjust, dangerous and profoundly un-Christian.”

A writing that many very likely strongly hold would have been far less unbalanced (biased), and much more responsible, if it had also included, for example, the following ever-so-relevant crucial facts:

(1.) America, this ever-so-unique and most precious Constitutional Republic, was also not founded as a “radical/militant Islam nation”;

(2.) Sharia law (Islam religious law), and other radical/militant Islam ideology, cannot co-exist with our U.S. Constitution, or otherwise with the unalienable human rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness;

(3.) any disregard of above facts (1.) and (2.) is not only blatantly un-American and in ignorance/denial of world history, but also  insanely suicidal.

As we individually and collectively pursue our respective gift-of-life journeys on this mutually shared planet, it seems especially noteworthy that — as with the rights to offend, be offended, etc. — the assumed or legitimate right to harbor and employ the many faces of bias also comes not void of responsibility and consequences, regardless of founding in oversight, ignorance, intent, or otherwise.

                                                            —William James Moore