As I'm sure you are aware, Jim Acosta and various other journalists and pundits are up in arms over Trump labeling the news media as "the enemy of the people." Like most things these days(including Trump himself), my thinking is conflicted on that. I know it sucks to be demonized by people with powerful voices, because you never know if some crazy person will be motivated into doing something violent against the targets of the vitriol. Just ask Steve Scalise, his fellow Republican teammates, and the US Capitol Police. On the other hand, as a conservative and Trump supporter, maybe it's not a bad thing for journalists to see what it's like to be on the receiving end. Besides, there's some truth to the label they are being slapped with.
I think most members of the news media, especially in the era of Trump, are unthinking and unprofessional. They are more concerned with maintaining a narrative than in looking for and disseminating the truth. Partly it's the overwhelming pro-Democrat/anti-Republican bias. Partly it's groupthink and a willingness to succumb to hysteria. Partly it's an undeserved sense of superiority. To some extent, all of those permeate every major issue today, not to mention issues of the past, but with the nomination and election of Donald Trump it has become extreme.
Despite my anger and disgust with most journalists these days, I don't want to see any of them hurt. Fired maybe, but not hurt. But I also wish they would stop fueling the anti-Trump/anti-Republican hysteria that just may see some nutjob going after Trump or more Republican Congressmen. Every time they amplify some Democrat politician demonizing Trump and Republicans as racist, fascist, misogynist and on and on they add more potential violence to our society that may be one serious incident from major political violence.
I see zero chance that journalists will do any soul searching and examine their role in creating today's political climate, just as I expect the same from Trump. I see nobody on the national level with either the desire or the ability to steer our discourse back to a more civil tone. It's going to continue to degrade. There is much to criticize Trump for, but the rhetoric against him and those who support him has also become insane.
And I think there's a pretty good chance that some crazy person is listening, and making plans.
Recent Comments