Whose Words Should We Take Seriously?
One of the most heartbreaking stories in the news these past two weeks has been the publication of new details surrounding the kidnapping and presumed murder of the mother of television journalist Savannah Guthrie. Like millions of Americans, I have followed the story with sadness. I have no interest in second-guessing the investigation itself. I am not a criminologist, nor am I a law enforcement professional, and it would be inappropriate for me to pretend otherwise. What caught my attention, however, was something entirely different. In a recent interview with The Wall Street Journal , Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos responded to criticism of his department's handling of the investigation by suggesting that some of his earlier public statements had been taken more literally than he intended. That observation stopped me in my tracks. If not the sheriff's words, whose words are we supposed to take seriously? After all, a sheriff occupies a position of public trust. When...