What would George Washington think of our current political and journalistic leadership if he could hear the current discussion of “Talking Points?” The Father of this country was known by his cohorts, whether friend or foe, as an honest man. He was known as a man who didn’t talk too much, but when he did talk, people believed what he had to say.

What kind of a country have we become that we have to even consider whose “Talking Points” should become the message of the Executive Branch? Why does each department have highly paid “spokespersons,” whose job requires knowing what to say and how to say it in order to protect and promote personal agendas rather than factual reporting?

Instead of focusing on who did what to whom, when, where, and why did they do it, are journalists more focused on who has whose ear and who is covering for whom?

Maybe we should think about the whole concept of “Talking Points.” By allowing the term to be used so freely by politicians and journalists aren’t we giving them permission to “shade the truth” from us? We are giving people permission to tell us things that protect their carefully crafted “image.” We are allowing them to treat us as children who can’t handle the truth. We are accepting the premise that image is more important than reality, that political correctness trumps political awareness, and that journalists want access to celebrities rather than accountability to citizens.

Just think how much better off we would be if people running for elected office shared their own policies and beliefs instead of spouting “Talking Points” put together by party operatives. Just think how much more real legislating could get done if our elected officials spoke about why they propose laws and what the consequences of those laws would be, instead of constantly trading “Talking Points” on the various TV “Talk” shows.

So, we have a country bragging about the wonderful first amendment that guarantees the freedom of speech but no one speaks the truth, only “Talking Points.”