Letters to the Editor

Was speech forewarning or a falsehood?

To the editor:

In a letter to the editor on Aug. 8, Dave Quay argues that Democrats' actions will ultimately lead to communism. He starts out quoting a speech purportedly given by Nikita Khrushchev on Sept. 29, 1959. This scary speech starts with "Your children will live under a socialist government. You Americans are so gullible!" It concludes with "The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work, and you give it to those who would not."

First, there is no proof that Khrushchev ever made that speech. He was touring the United States from Sept. 15 to 27 that year, but was back in Moscow, probably suffering from jet lag, when Quay says the speech was delivered.

This Khrushchev chain letter that he quotes from has been circulating on the internet for years. It is a typical viral chain letter containing false information for the purpose of scaring, intimidating or deceiving the reader.

I will assume that Quay in this instance suffered from confirmation bias and wanted to believe it so badly that he never bothered to ask, "Is this true?"

Spreading false information to win a political argument that stirs the passions of people is not only wrong but also chilling. The riot on Jan. 6, 2021, is a perfect example of how misinformation can lead to dangerous outcomes.

Gary Gill

Lewistown