Truth and Opinion

"Just the facts, Ma'am." -- Det. Sgt. Joe Friday in the TV series "Dragnet."

   News programs have been going bonkers over Rudy Giuliani's comment that "Truth isn't truth."
   For a moment, let's give him a break and consider that what he meant was that an opinion on what something means doesn't agree with what someone else may think it means. He may have been using the terms "truth" and "opinion" interchangeably.
   In that scenario, you may choose an alternative set of facts and use them to justify or support a conclusion that you prefer, rather than someone else's conclusion.
   Prosecutors and defense attorneys do this regularly, and it's up to a jury to decide which side has the better argument.
   Truth is not debatable. What a particular truth means, however, can be and often is debated by lawyers and politicians long after the sun goes down. But at the end of the day, truth is that which conforms to fact or reality, and is not debatable.
   Opinion is a conclusion as to what a certain set of facts may mean and how they will affect the world. This enables some to select alternative facts to bolster their preconceived notion of what should be or what they prefer to be.
   Others may choose a different set of facts to support an opposing position.
   Ideally, both sides should look at all the facts and reach a compromise on what would be the best way to make use of all the information available to best serve society.
   All along, however, "truth" is that which conforms to fact or reality.