An opening shot across the bows

Perception versus reality. What do I mean by this? I am 58 years old, I have served in Viet Nam, 26 years in Law Enforcement and 2 years in Iraq training Iraqi Police Officers on the street. I have seen things with my own eyes and later seen them as reports in the media and in statements by others who were not there. What is reported by others is rarely what is factual.
Perception is the subjective interpretation of a given event or situation. Reality is the objective fact of what occured or exists. Subjective versus objective. In other words what you think you see or hear may not be what actually happened. Any competent stage magician makes his living on skewing reality to cause his audience to perceive what he wants. The same for lawyers, used car dealers, politicians and diplomats.
We can suspend our belief while sitting in the theater and watching a magician fool us. That is what we are paying him to do. But what happens to us when we do the same in our daily lives. What if a Doctor decided that he would diagnose and treat on what he thinks the problem is when the observed indices all contradict him? What happens when we elect someone on what we want to believe rather on what the facts are? What happens when a police officer fires his weapon on what he perceives to be a threat rather on what the fact is?
Yes, perception alteration can be fun and entertaining. But it can also kill us and effect the way we conduct our daily lives. I have seen so many examples of people being their own worst enemies because they choose what they perceive over what is fact.
I will attempt to present facts here and then offer my interpretation and perception of these facts. I will make every effort to seperate the two; I will tell people what I am presenting as my opinion and interppretation and what are the observed facts.
So folks, sit back, relax and lets see how many people still have the ability, the will and the strength to choose reality over perception.