While I understand that you are not responsible for ensuring the accuracy of letters from readers, I felt compelled to offer a fact-check to Mary Donaldson's letter ("Wake-Up Election," published in the August 29-September 4 Connection). In it, she quotes Henry Kissinger - referring to President Trump - as "the one true leader. After eight years of tyranny, we finally see a difference."
Henry Kissinger did not say that, ever. That quote was an editorial statement by the author of an article published in The Patriot Post and Liberty One News, two right-leaning websites. Discovering this was as simple as typing "Kissinger" + "one true leader" into a search engine: multiple sites popped up labeling the quote as false.
Spreading fake news drags down civil discourse, and in an age of electronic communication, avoiding it is one of the responsibilities of good citizenship. The News Literacy Project has excellent tools to make all of us better, more discerning consumers of news. I urge Ms Donaldson - and passionate partisans of every stripe - to visit www.newslit.org to learn more.
Karen E. Akers
Vienna