Here we are, in a day and age of instant media coverage right at our fingertips on everything that happens everywhere. Perfect, we can know exactly what happened, where it happened, who was involved, and why they did it; because we have all of the details, right?

Now put this into perspective. In every situation, there is multiple sides, often one viewed as 'good' and one as 'bad.' Sometimes there can even be a neutral side. For example, 500 years ago, Columbus and his crew "discovered" America (yes, I know he didn't ACTUALLY discover America). From a European perspective at the time, you might praise Columbus for his great works in extending the European way of life and for technologically improving those indigenous to America. But through the native people's eyes, you'd see all of the damage done to their culture, as well as the many diseases brought to the people. Yet others may remain neutral, seeing the positives and the negatives of both sides.

Two specific common threads run through all three reports of the same incident. They are all true, and they are all opinions. We have all grown up hearing how important it is to respect opinions other than your own, but have we all realized that they can all be true?

Take one situation, for example, that is covered in the news. Something happens, and there are a couple of sides. At the event, there are a few, maybe 20, sources and/or reporters. Multiply that by how many media companies use each source. By that point, it's a game of telephone with every step of the journey to get to its' audience.

At this point, we realize that every side of the story, if told honestly, is valid. This does not mean every side is moral, but valid and true, specifically to that person or group. If they can explain their perspective and why, their perspective is valid. Their opinions are valid. What they think happened is valid. It truly is all about perspective, and how you react to it.