Written by Walter Hecht   

My parents had three children, my older sister who died in infancy, me in the middle, and my younger sister who was born with cerebral palsy. I was somewhat slow mentally and never was very good at sports. I was tone-deaf, had no sense of rhythm and could not master chores like tying my shoe laces when my peers did. In high school, I started with the average students and then was transferred to the brightest group, where I was the slowest of the group. I kept up by means of hard work and an excellent memory. I didn't belong in either group though because my learning requires a different method. I dropped out of college after a year and a half.

I began working at almost age 20 and worked for 50 years, retiring just before age 70. I supported Richard Nixon until he resigned, and I supported the Vietnam war. I liked Ronald Reagan although I disagreed with a few of his policies. I was born into a Republican family and stayed a Republican supporter until 2004. I supported George W. Bush after 9/11 and supported invading Iraq to unseat the bad guy, Saddam Hussein.

I believed that politicians spoke the truth, at least some of the time, and that the media would contest false statements. I believed what I read in print. I believed the ads I read and saw on TV believing that the regulatory agencies of government would punish false advertising. I believed that insurance companies existed to spread the risk and make the unlucky whole again. In other words, I was a very slow learner, but the incompetence of the Bush administration in Iraq, my unhappy experiences with insurance companies, and wide reading for the past decade have opened my eyes wide.

Now it is my mission to learn the truth, as best I can, and to spread the word. I have a lifelong tendency to go overboard with my enthusiasms, and I may be guilty of doing just that again here. Perhaps. However, someone must take some responsibility for combating the lies and misinformation that surround us now. If no one else does, I will. Join me if you care about the future of our children and our country.