Does anyone really doubt that a lot of the national media coverage is slanted when it comes to reporting? Can anyone truly say, with a straight face, that they think most of the national media is fair and balanced in how they present the different views?
If you truly believe that it isn't slanted then please just quit reading. I'm only going to cause your blood pressure to go through the roof.
A couple of weeks ago President Trump responded to the incident at Charlottesville by saying that there were good people on both sides of the conflict as well as bad players. I may not be getting the quote exact but that's the gist of what he said.
The media and politicians (from all angles) jumped all over him because he had the audacity to not respond in the exact way they wanted. He condemned hatred of any kind but that wasn't enough. They wanted him to call out the white supremacists by name and anything short of that made him a racist.
Where were these same media people when President Obama refused to utter the words "terrorists" and "Muslims" in the same sentence? I'm not sure if he ever really admitted that most violent terrorist events in the world were committed by Muslim extremists and the media was just fine with him not crossing that imaginary line and calling it what it was.
Do you think maybe there is a little bias on the part of our "unbiased" national media outlets? Surely not. If there were, then I'm sure the national media would report on it. Don't you think?
Yes, I'm being a little (no make that a lot) cynical but I'm tired of the double standard that is ever present by the people we used to depend on to be honest and fair. I watch mainstream news because I don't want to get all my news from one source but I am savvy enough to recognize bias. But a lot of people aren't and they actually think the national media is being fair.
For the record, I think dumb is dumb on both ends of the scale and I think we should acknowledge that extremists who promote hate should be called out and held accountable. The KKK and all other hate groups should be condemned. I seem to remember some Black Lives Matter leaders called for violence and the national media sure didn't whip themselves into a frenzy over that stance.
Here's another example of slanted reporting. President Trump goes to Texas immediately after Hurricane Harvey and is then slammed by some because he didn't sound compassionate enough. Seriously. He goes as soon as it is safe to show support and he is accused of not being sincere enough. Give me a break!
And then some on social media slam Melania for wearing 4-inch heels to board the plane to go to Houston. Of course, not sure, they then mentioned that she changed while she was on the plane and wore jeans and flat shoes when she got off.
Seriously. We have a major catastrophe with severe destruction of property and loss of life and some idiots focus on the First Lady's shoes. As Forrest Gump said, "stupid is as stupid does."
I am so fed up that we put any credence in small-minded people who light up social media with snarly comments that serve no purpose besides tearing someone down.
Can we agree that such pettiness is wrong? And can we agree that hate is hate regardless of someone's skin color, gender or political persuasion. And can we agree that the news media should report the news and not try to put their personal slant on it? (Note that I used the term "news" media because there is a difference between commentary and reporting).
If anything good can come out of a terrible tragedy like Hurricane Harvey it is that such times remind us of how much we have in common versus what makes us different. I have seen a multitude of pictures in the aftermath of the hurricane showing people of all ages and all ethnicities assisting those that needed help -- regardless of who they are.
It is at times like this that petty differences fade away and humanity shines brightest. I am so tired of stupid and I am so tired of people creating problems out of situations that aren't really problems. I just hate that we sometimes have to be at our worst to see the best in others.
-- Kevin Wilson is a former state representative who was born in Goodman and now lives in Neosho. Opinions are those of the author.
Religion on 09/07/2017