To the editor:
President Joe Biden’s speech was good. Delivered well. Struck a good tone about unity. But there’s a part of the speech that he spoke about lies and truth that stands out.
“There is truth and there are lies, lies told for power and for profit. And each of us has a duty and responsibility, as citizens, as Americans, and especially as leaders, leaders who have pledged to honor our Constitution and protect our nation, to defend the truth and defeat the lies.”
I agree with his words: “there is truth and there are lies…” however, I hope that his thinking reflects his speech. The theme of unity is clear in his message, but if his thinking is aligned with his message, he must acknowledge that the left does not have a monopoly on the truth. He must take the hard step and push back against misinformation from the right as well as calls for censorship from within his own party and administration.
In order to uphold the truth, he must be willing to advocate for speech, even speech that he considers reprehensible. He must be a president that advocates for a victory in the marketplace of ideas and open debate, rather than through censorship. Should he do so, he will live up to the ideal he set for himself and America in his inaugural speech.
Jim Sullivan
Indianapolis
