Truth or Dare?

Barbara Harring - bh572115@ohio.edu 

Truth or Dare is a classic game where one player asks another player to answer a question of truth or requests a daring action to be performed. Before knowing what the question or the act will be, the opposing player must first choose a truth or a dare. If you choose truth, you are bound by your commitment to the game to divulge your facts. Otherwise, you must perform the deed requested of you.

Let's play!

I'll ask first...truth or dare?

You have answered, truth.

My question to you is, would you accept money to publicly promote a cause that you have no concern for or one that you are not knowledgeable about?

OK, you didn’t like that one. This may be your first time playing this game so you may choose again. Truth or dare?

Truth again. My next question to you is, how much money would it take for you step up to a podium in front of a crowd of people and lie to them?

This is also an unappealing question, and you would like to change to a dare?

Fine. I dare you to put on a dinosaur costume and spend a hot summer day walking around carrying a protest sign. You can buy your dinosaur costume from Amazon.com for $46.52. You will need to travel to a specific location 100 miles away. Make sure you fill up your gas tank, and don’t forget to request time off of work because the event is on a Wednesday morning.

No? OK, here is $500. Now will you do it?

"Dinosaurs" protest outside of ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson's hearing for his nomination for secretary of state.          Photo credit: Carlos Barria/Reuters - BusinessInsider.com

My apologies for taking you through this outlandish narrative to arrive at the point. I don't know if the protesters in this photo were paid, but I question whether many people are willing to sacrifice their beliefs, their reputations, or their time to do something like this. Some do find a dollar figure that equals the value of their beliefs, reputations and time, and there are organizations ready to provide them with this elusive amount. 

There are organizations who use their financial resources to create elaborate fake personas and campaigns that appear real enough to sway public opinion. Along with these are companies willing to pay protestors, fund PR stunts, and sell smear campaigns. Some operate secretly and others openly advertise these services.

So, my plea is that we take the time and effort to disclose and expose fictitious ploys to sway our thoughts in support of multi-bazillion dollar organizations and corporations who tactically use money to distort truth for their own benefit.

Take off the dinosaur costume and get a refund. Use that amount to support valid reputable causes, and avoid supporting organizations that use a fake front to promote their own agendas.