Sometimes columnist Jon Huer’s ruminations take him to heights where the air gets a little thin, leading to lightheadedness. An example is his column “On ‘facts’ and ‘truths’” (Recorder, July 12). “All facts are tautologies,” he declares, pointing to “one week has 7 days.” Well, yes, definitions are tautologies. But not all facts are definitions, and some facts are not tautologies. Indeed, many are not. In that day’s paper, it’s reported that the Bridge of Flowers has reopened. That’s a fact, but it’s not a tautology, and I think more than “scientists, children, and trivia players” are excited about it. F

Further, he says, “Truths’ are anything we say (both truthfully and falsely) about people.” This is simply silly — “truths are anything that we say … falsely … about people?” What? Time for the oxygen mask. There are facts, and there are truths based on facts, and then there are truths not based on facts. “All truths are ‘self-evident’ and can never be ‘wrong’?” No. Truths based on facts can be contradicted by new facts, and other truths can change based on experience. How we agree on facts, and how we accept truths not based on facts have been discussed by philosophers and others over the years.

These are important questions, and Donald Trump and his “alternate facts” crowd have made them increasingly relevant to all of us. The fate of our republic may depend on our answers, and we need to take them seriously. This column did not help.

Michael Naughton

Millers Falls