Partial Information

Anecdotal information is one example of partial information being not very helpful in understanding complex issues.

Another example of partial information being not very helpful in understanding complex issues is quoting partial data. Statistics such as homicides per 100,000 without contextual information is not very helpful. Are the homicides victims such as school children; scripture-studying, law-abiding, charity-giving people; moms caring for their children; teachers helping our children? Or are they willing combatants who have chosen lives of violence, living by Tge sword and dying by the sword? I think this contextual information is important.

To be clear, im not suggesting that every cartel member is a “willing combatant”. I accept that some have been coerced or forced into their fate. Like the thousands of American draftees whose lives were cut short in Vietnam, those Mexican “draftees” did not choose, yet participated in high risk violence.

It has been said that the best way to lie is to tell only part of the truth. I suggest that both anecdotal information and non-contextualizad information both meet that description.