Public myths are stories that have taken on a life of their own, but have no relation to known facts. They survive because people tell them to other people without bothering to find out if they are true, or because they intentionally want to deceive someone else. The news media has facilitated the rise in public myths by printing claims people make before fact checking them, all in the name of being the first to report them. Sinister politicians and special interest groups know this and, therefore, feed the media stories knowing full well that damage can be done before anyone bothers to investigate the evidence.
Some public myths have more resilience than others. But the more they are exposed, the greater the chance they will finally be put to rest. To this end I have listed the top 20 public myths for which I have found no serious evidence that would give them credibiity. In short, if they are on the list, you can be confident they are not true. Please feel free to share them with your friends and family. I also invite you to add to the list in your comments.
Top 20 Public Myths
1. The government wants to take away your guns.
2. The Supreme Court banned prayer from schools.
3. ObamaCare is a government takeover of heathcare.
4. Social Security is a major contributor to the federal deficit.
5. Conservatives love this country, liberals hate it.
6. People are poor because they don’t work hard enough.
7. Too many Americans are takers rather than makers.
8. Corporations are people.
9. Economic wealth trickles down.
10. Rich people need tax breaks because they are job creators.
11. Voter fraud is a threat to our democracy.
12. Voter ID laws protect the integrity of elections.
13. Public employee unions are the reason states are in debt.
14. Public school teachers are trying to indoctrinate students.
15. Right to work laws protect worker rights.
16. This is a Christian nation.
17. The war on Christmas is real.
18. Being gay is a choice you can un-choose.
19. Gay marriage threatens traditional marriage.
20. Women need men to take care of them.
linnposts.com 
Jan, Good one. Could i have permission to use your list in one of my columns–with proper citation a to its source.
Cheers,
Charles Bayer
Another myth: Global warming is real.
Such clarity! Thank you, Jan!
good list Jan, Global Warming (Climate Change) is backed up by science, but for the none science person, what happens if you are wrong and we do nothing, the planet will not sustain human life, do you really want to take that chance?
“Draft UN climate report shows 20 years of overestimated global warming” by Maxim Lott, Charles Couger — How Green — Published Jan. 28, 2013. CHART, 4 model estimates and then actual climate. Excellent article! Explains “unpredictability” of such things as volcano eruption & el nino. Report was not scheduled for publication until 2014, but leaked, and apparantly available for download online. Still important to Do The Right Thing and preserve water, soil, air from polution — just that reporting that has been done by Gore and Moore has made millionaires out of them! THEY profiteered.
Mandy – The Lott/Cougar report was presented on Fox News – hardly known for presenting facts or presenting them in full context – and goes against both empirical and sicientific evidence. There facts are not overstated that the planet is warming. One or a few scientists against the many is not reason to doubt this reality. Moreover, the overwhelming majority of the most respected scientists in the world believe human beings are contributing to it.
What you are really suggesting is that there is some kind of conspiriacy to invent climate change and its symtom, global warming, an incredible claim to be sure. But my brother’s question is one that still needs to be answered. Given the severity of weather we have seen the last few years, I wonder what the point of the argument you are making is. Suppose we continue to do what we are doing, such as burning coal, and ten years from now the consequences become obvious, as they seem to be doing now. What then?
For me, when it comes to climate change, I would rather be safe than forcing future generations to suffer the “sorry” that we created.
I agree that the World (not just U.S.A.) needs to reduce emissions, keep water and soil unpoluted for the future — no argument there, and do it just because it is the Right Thing to do. I threw in “global warming” because legitimate agencies do NOT agree that the world is coming to an end immeniently because of it. The list of “myths” are NOT “taking on a life of their own”– nobody believes ANY of those things AS THEY WERE STATED, so you do not need to set those things up for ridicule. But to itemize them as though they WERE believable is just setting up straw men. Another point, I got my info from a friend who did not identify Fox News on the report cited. Regardless, Fox News has mostly doctorate degreed people on staff–look that up. About half the nation listens/watches them, to the chagrin of the other news agencies, both public and private. Apparantly Fox has something there!!! Maybe the truth, better information that is “overlooked” (!!) by the rest of the media. Compare for yourself, parallel the information given on a particular story. Oh, that’s right– regular stations IGNORE stories that they don’t want to “offend” for political reasons. Have a nice day.
It’s curious that you say no one believes these “myths” and also that half the nation watches Fox News. Actually, the latter may acocunt for why your former statement misses the mark. In 2011 and in 2012 researchers at Fairleigh Dickinson University found that Fox viewers are more uniformed on issues than the general population. In addition, when nearly half of all Republicans believe President Obama is Muslim (another myth, by the way), it is not surprising that the ones I list do in fact have a life of their own. .
Just to clarify. The study found Fox viewers more “uninformed” than the general population. Sorry for the typo. Jan