Follow the Facts by Rebecca Lohr

In recent months, I have been struck by what I am calling “The Culture of Disavowal”. Disavowal is a conscious process of knowing something to be true but acting contrary to that knowledge. Denial, on the other hand, is an unconscious process whereby information is not accessible to conscious thought. The difference is quite significant and we can observe it in social media, policy, and social activism. The data on access to guns is clear, that guns in households increases the incidents of suicide, homicide and accidental deaths. While this is widely disseminated information, elected officials and community members elect to operate as though it is not true, giving way to policies that encourage guns in schools as a safety measure, for example. Were we to take action based on information that is known, the results would be quite different. Shared information, whether on climate control or gun violence, would and should foster open dialogue and policies developed based on actual data. So, why is this not happening? Our minds selectively screen out that which does not support our core beliefs, in other words, we disavow input that is not syntonic with what we want to hear. This dynamic is very dangerous and needs to be addressed at every level. It can, and has already contributed to dire consequences in our country. We must confront disavowal at every level in our society and hold people accountable for acting in accord with known and well documented information. Proudly, our young people are looking at what is happening, holding their elders accountable and hopefully in time will vote in accord with their knowledge and beliefs.