Dear Editor:
Not long ago I spotted a headline which declared that Fox News is the least trusted television news source. I liked the headline and, without making any attempt to look into its accuracy, I used it as the foundation for what became a misleading letter that was published in this column on Feb. 14.
The short-lived titillation that I felt in writing and delivering that letter was not equal to the wrenching pain brought on by later realizing that I had committed a subtle form of lying and, in so doing, I had opened myself up to attack by people about whom I have a broad array of reservations.
The poll that I referred to in my letter now seems to me to have uncertain meaning. Fox News remains an exceedingly popular and trusted news outlet. My failure to look into this before writing the related letter reflects my dishonesty and my laziness. I really do regret having to acknowledge the assistance of other contributors in uncovering my failure. I am managing to find a sense of deep reward in letting go of a piece of my false self and offering this written statement of the truth as I understand it.
Anytime is a good time to move beyond guilt and pain and, in that spirit, I'm offering a suggestion to my critics that might, at some point, allow a person from their side to experience a similar sense of satisfaction and even joy at moving toward a higher level of honesty.
I suppose, that first, the other side will have to search for and identify one of their number who has ever had an inkling of having committed even a subtle lie by, for instance, allowing a long-standing set of biases to guide his thought process. We should all make ourselves comfortable while we await the results of that search.