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Wednesday, 12 May 2010 16:38

Editorial: "Defending the right to hear and speak the Truth"

Written by Arthur Breur
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The Alliance Defense Fund ("ADF"), refers to itself as "a legal alliance defending the right to hear and speak the Truth."

From this, one would expect that the ADF is dedicated to always telling the Truth as well.

Except when they don't—which seems to happen occasionally in the organization's "Alliance Alerts" sent out via social media.  These alerts have short titles that nicely fit in the 140-character Twitter format and usually include a link to an article or legal brief.  However, at times the titles of these alerts are worded in a way that gives the opposite impression of what the linked article actually says.

For example: "New Jersey’s civil union law harms children, says court brief."  From this, one might think the legal brief in question claims that New Jersey's legal civil unions, in and of themselves, harm children.  However, the main point of the actual court brief seems very different: "Children of Same-Sex Couples Are Harmed By The State's Decision To Deny Their Parents The Right To Marry."  Tack on "says court brief" at the end, and ADF could convey the brief's True wording and still fit it all within 140 characters.

If the ADF's audience were expected to read the actual brief—or even the excerpt from the brief displayed on the ADF's own website—then the title of the alert might seem innocuous.  But as a single-sentence message sent to presumably busy people—who might only remember the meaning conveyed in 140 characters or less—the alert sends a very different message from the true legal brief it cites.

Now, this might not be considered outright lying, but it certainly seems deceptive—which is quite an irony from an organization declaring itself dedicated to "defending the right to hear and speak the Truth."

Last modified on Thursday, 13 May 2010 06:14
Arthur Breur

Arthur Breur

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