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HELPING THE SUN SHINE BRIGHTLY

posted 03/13/2010
I recently heard on the radio that, on average, 12 newborns are given to the wrong parents daily. Although I've long suspected that I might have been one of those babies, I still found the statistic intriguing. So I began searching the internet. Sure enough, I discovered this statistic on on a web site that listed some useless information in 2008. However I noticed that the same statistic showed up on numerous web sites, but they were worded slightly differently. How curious!

Actually hundreds of sites contained the words "12 newborns will be given to the wrong parents daily." Then, suddenly, it hit me: "are given"and "will be given" are not the same thing. A little more research revealed that a motivational piece about what would happen if 99.9% accuracy or effort were good enough has circulated for nearly a decade. It was quoted in keynote addresses, at conferences, in the New Zealand Parliament, and it even appeared on cereal boxes. The piece includes, among other examples, a projection that an error rate of only one tenth of a percent at U.S. hospitals, alone, would result in 12 newborns being given to the wrong parents daily.

Even more interestingly, there are actually real studies listed on the internet indicating that perhaps 1 out of 8 newborns are actually sent home with the wrong parents in this country. Most of these mistakes are recognized and corrected within a few days, but the statistic is still startling.

So what does all of this mean? It means that before we go spouting off the “truth" as heard in a speech, quoted in the halls of government, or reported in the media, we might just want to check out the "facts."For as Elvis Presley once said, "Truth is like the sun. You can shut it out for a time, but it ain't goin' away."

• Do you believe everything you read and hear?
  
  
• Are you perpetuating myths and lies?
  
  
• How long would it take to check the facts first?
  
  
• What will you do to help the sun shine brightly?

David Bentley, M.Ed., is an avid observer of people, places and events. He uses his storytelling and questioning skills to help himself and others think outside the box in an ever-changing world. Comments about his column can be sent to davidbentley@sanjuanislander.com.

© 2010 David Bentley

SAN JUAN ISLANDER © 2010

editor@sanjuanislander.com

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