Letter to the Editor: Submitted by Elaine St. Clair

To the Editor:

A child of six years old has a well developed sense of fairness. An example can be heard on any playground. In a clear loud voice one can hear, “That’s not fair.” A child may not have language skills to clearly state their reasons, and they just know it is not fair.

Skills to describe fairness develop as we experience life. Our ability to name truth and hypocrisy follow. Information comes to us with the intensity and volume of a fire hose. Overwhelmed can be a constant state as we read social media, listen to podcasts and watch TV coverage.

An an adult, I count on my senses of sight, hearing and heart. Events I see leave little doubt in my mind. Commentary heard requires information to be credible. My heart has a gauge of compassion for human beings. These three senses inform my ability to determine fairness and truthfulness of a situation.

Seeds of doubt are intensely broadcast in our awareness. Messages to doubt my personal experience make red flags wave and I hear a child’s voice shout, “That is not fair, that is not true.” May we each believe what we see with our own eyes.

Elaine St. Clair
Decorah