When Stephen Colbert coined the term "truthiness" a couple of years ago, most of us took it in good light fun. After all, we all fudge the truth occasionally, in harmless ways. Because we're all honorable and truthful people. Right? Aren't we? But a lot has changed in two years. At least in our awareness. The recent campaigns have shone a harsh spotlight on us. And it's not a pretty sight. "Truthiness" is no longer as much fun, because too many are playing fast and loose with facts and truth. To the detriment of our society. If we're uninformed, we can't know any better. And if we hear it and see it and don't acknowledge and call it out, we're complicit. Let's Mosey around this opportunity.

Information Enables Knowledge. Knowledge is Power.

In order to have a properly functioning society we must have a well-informed, civically-engaged populace. And recent events have demonstrated that we're rapidly regressing from those ideals. We're seeing a dumbing down of the citizenry and too much intellectual laziness that is no longer just fodder for late-night TV host jokes. It's becoming dangerous. The gullible and uninformed have little ability to discern facts, and truth becomes whatever they believe, or are led to believe. Thus, a smaller number of charismatic "leaders" are able to exploit and manipulate the masses through fear, media manipulation and misrepresentation of the truth. We hear "You can have your own opinions, but you can't make up your own facts." However, if we're uninformed, we can't know the difference.

Curse You, Ted Turner!

Since it's always more fun when we have villains, for the sake of discussion I'll choose Mr. Turner. He brilliantly created the monster of 24-Hour news, and look what it's wrought. We have...

--scrolling news that lulls us into a false sense of being informed

--fierce media competition to be first with the "breaking" news, so much is not properly vetted.

--24-hour cable outlets with too many low-level "journalists," announcers and guest "experts" to keep feeding the beast and we're all short-changed. But we don't know any better if that's all we know.

--we're learning that because of the above, we're often subject to fake news because there are few professional filters. Fake news is now big business. Thus, what was a staple of social media has now gone mainstream if we don't have better watchdogs to screen content. And if we're not better informed to pay attention.

You know, of course, that I think we can do better. Read on and consider your role.

 TRUST, TRUTH...OUR OPPORTUNITY/RESPONSIBILITY

I love this formidable wall plaque that I discovered in San Antonio. It's old fashioned, but the message is not. We have to trust each other, our government and other institutions that serve us. Without trust, we're subject to deceit and dysfunction. And we can already see where that's leading us. We can't have trust without a common appreciation and expectation of truth. Truth based on education, critical analysis, observation and informed debate. Not just my opinion. No, especially not my opinion.

So, What Do We Do?

We see to it that we're well informed. We audit our information sources and make sure we've got some diverse opinions. The top photo includes info sources I found around our house today. We've got others with art, entertainment and travel themes, and I spend time trying to discern fact from fiction on social media. But not too much time.

We should be alert that we and our family are well-informed so each can converse confidently in our various roles. Model to our kids and grandkids that it's cool and hip to know stuff. That ignorance is not a healthy bliss.

A NOTE OF CAUTION ON FAKE NEWS AND SOCIAL MEDIA EMBELLISHMENT....

Let's redouble our efforts to avoid forwarding "too good/wonderful/outrageous to be true" social media posts without proper confirmation. We've all been suckered by such pieces, but we do each other a disservice by not being more cautious. Some are fun, harmless. Others, dangerous. And let's expect better and request better of our media. They say they're responding to what they think we want. Let's support them as we all rise to a loftier occasion.

In closing, Mosey principles include "Slow Down, Pay Attention and BE INFORMED." Let's enter the New Year with redoubled efforts to assure that we're sufficiently informed to be good role models in everything we do. Let's be less tolerant of blatant distortion of facts and truth from any source. Let's act as if facts and truth matter. Because they do. And that builds trust. And that's the foundation of a healthy community. LET'S MOSEY!