"And the First Shall be Last"

 Jesus said that, or more correctly, Jesus is quoted as saying that in (insert here the Biblical book, chapter, and verse.)  See, we don't know for a fact that Jesus said that, or anything else for that matter, because we have no evidence that Jesus ever wrote anything down.  All we have is secondhand accounts of His life and teachings.  It's possible but, in my opinion, not likely, that all these accounts are totally fictitious.  It's also possible but, in my opinion, not likely that these accounts are 100% accurate.  It has been my experience that most stories have a certain amount of truth in them, but not as much as some people think.  

It has also been my experience that people generally believe what they think they already know and tend to reject any new information that is not compatible with what they think they already know.  That's just the first impulse, however. It is possible to override this impulse and open your mind to new ideas or information, but you have to make a conscious effort to do so.  

I never meant to say that I unconditionally believed every single word of that story about the Polish border.  We discussed the possibility that the photo might have been staged, but even if it was, it doesn't prove that the whole story was bogus.  I came across several stories later that tended to confirm the first article.  That's evidence, but it does not conclusively prove or disprove the original piece.  My current opinion is that the story was generally true, but that opinion could be changed if I came across credible evidence that suggested otherwise.  

The "alleged" thing is not just politeness, it's professional journalism.  I know that because I took one semester of journalism in high school.  Mrs. Kew would turn over in her grave if she could see what has become of the profession today.  I didn't agree with everything she said, but I still believe Mrs. Kew knew more about journalism than any of the modern, revisionist, young whippersnappers that have come to dominate the news media in this day and age.