Do you like the truth?

Is marriage a private matter or a public issue? What is marital status? When is a person considered legally married? Would it hurt you, if your marital status was made public? Guys out there, you need to answer these questions.

I have searched for the answers in vain. In the last two weeks, we have been publishing a column of people without partners or those with partners and have not declared their positions in public.

The column has generated much public criticism. We have been called all sorts of names. Of course, I feel hurt when some one is hurt. Journalism however is one hell of a profession that you can not fail to hurt some one. We talk about truth, honesty and facts. And it hurts, real deep.

Many do not want to hear their dirt exposed. This is impossible! How shall we be honest, if we tell the truth selectively? You might think the truth is what you think it is. How wrong! Truth must be told even when it hurts. Right? O yes, you will say the truth will set you free.

I have come to realize that people will do anything to kill the truth. My close friend completely not married and has been eloping with a young girl for quite along time is an example. When we published that he was not married, he was furious. The other was a working class girl. She drove to office and engaged me in intellectual arguments. When we asked her marital status, she went ballistic.

“That is my private life that Iam talking about should not be interfered. Leave me alone!” she said and stormed out of the office.

As journalists, we are taught to be tough, resist intimidation and harassment. So was the story defamatory? Hell, no. In our definition, we had categorized all people with no partners and those staying with someone and had not declared their intentions to public as not married.

Were we near the truth? Over to you, my friend!