A recent book on baseball umpires, reviewed positively, is entitled “As They See ‘Em”. That reminded me of a comment in the New Yorker many years ago about hree umpires explaining how they called ‘em.
-- The first umpire said “Some’s balls and some’s strikes, and I calls ‘em as they is.”
-- The second said “Some’s balls and some’s strikes and I calls ‘em as I sees ‘em.”
-- The third explained: “Some’s balls and some’s strikes, but they ain’t nothin’ till I calls ‘em.”
This takes me right back to philosophy (and sometimes theology) class. What is truth?
-- The first is the dogmatist. He is sure of his grasp of objective truth--as they is.
-- The second, more honestly, admits his own perspective is a bit more relative, or subjective. Truth depends upon his own eyesight and judgment--as he sees ‘em.
-- The third is also dogmatic, and I believe the most dangerous. He is in charge, he constructs or imposes what he sees, his truth upon reality--as he calls ‘em.
How this applies to various media writers and commentators, and how this applies to spiritual and temporal leaders, I leave up to the viewer to decide.
Peter Schineller, S.J.
