If you’ve read the WritersWeekly “In The News” column with any kind of regularity, you’ve probably noticed that we aren’t big fans of the news media in general. And, there is good reason for that. Most of the mainstream news media have given up on reporting the news, and taken up the cause of spreading propaganda, and driving agendas. Most of those agendas seem to be those embraced by Marxists and other anti-American/anti FREEDOM types who think we should all give up our rights, and bow to a centralized authority who will tell us what we can say, where we can go, what we can own, and what god we must worship.
Last Sunday, I first heard of a “convoy of armed truckers headed for the US/Mexico border.”
A voice in my head said, “That doesn’t sound quite right.” I mean, how are a bunch of truckers going to make any money parking their trucks on the border, and sitting there trying to keep illegal aliens from crossing?
So, I started a Google search and, sure enough, much of the media was feverishly reporting, with its hair seemingly on fire, that a “convoy” of truckers was heading for the Texas border to “blockade” it. Some stories mentioned that the convoy was “armed.” But even worse … much worse; the detail that caused these journalist to wail and gnash their teeth – these trucking marauders were calling themselves an “Army of GOD!”
Imagine the horror. CHRISTIANS trying to protect the U.S. border! But, was that what was really happening?
Well, I had an intimate evening planned with my wife. So, I put my phone away for the night, and we had a wonderful dinner at a speakeasy-themed restaurant in Chattanooga…complete with a secret entrance through a bookcase in a hotel lobby. I didn’t look into the story again until the next morning. I considered heading out to Texas myself to collect facts, interview some of these people, and see just what was really going on with this convoy. However, I was later able to find plenty of folks involved in that convoy being interviewed and posting videos online.
The “Media” versus the Truth
Once we were home again, I started wading through the breathless, panicked warnings that the mainstream media outlets were dishing out. Then, I went to the website of the convoy organizers. There was nothing about guns and arms. They were not going to block the border. They weren’t even going to be ON the border. They were, of course, not going to confront the Border Patrol or any other government agencies. In fact, I found several statements by the organizers of this protest that insisted that it would remain peaceful, and that anyone causing trouble would be removed from the group. They planned three peaceful rallies in three states to bring awareness to the dangerous situation of allowing anyone and everyone to infiltrate our country.
Clearly, things weren’t adding up. So, I decided to start compiling a list of the “sky is falling” claims you will find on all the major news sites (and some not-so-major outlets), and then compare those claims to the truth. If you are a professional writer, and any kind of intellectual, then you should be outraged at how stupid some “journalists” think you are. I don’t care what side of the political fence you are on. You should be outraged that you are being lied to by people calling themselves “journalists” who do little to no actual research before spewing out their opinions and biases as “facts.” You can find out just how stupid they think you are by simply doing some of your own research into the stories that you read in the “news” today.
My first example is a story from CBS News in Austin, TX.
CBS chose to make the claim that the “Convoy,” which would have to include all participants and organizers, are planning to “blockade” the border.
The group that is organizing this protest is called “Take Our Border Back.” Their website is: https://takeourborderback.com
I would like to challenge anyone to scour that website and find where it explains any plans to “blockade” the border. It doesn’t exist. CBS Austin didn’t list any sources from within the convoy or the organizers expressing a plan to blockade the border. They don’t have any quotes from anyone within the convoy stating this to be the goal. It was simply untrue.
The rallies and protests will take place on Saturday, February 3rd, in three cities. If you look at their website, they’re telling people to bring their lawn chairs, coolers, and “a kind heart.” You won’t see THAT in the mainstream media! At this moment, CBS Austin is making a FALSE claim as to the stated goals of this group.
You can even read the group’s declaration of their intent RIGHT HERE, and see for yourself if they are calling for a blockade of the border.
CBS Austin also chose to quote some egghead academic named professor Ruth Braunstein, who vomited out this little gem of brilliance for our benefit:
“When people believe that they are working on behalf of God, they might be willing to resort to relatively extreme measures … and so you have a politically volatile situation that could become much more so, in part because of this rhetoric.”
Oh yeah, Ruth. I know what you mean. People working on behalf of their God certainly can be extreme. We saw that on October 7 in Israel. We saw it on September 11, 2001. “Allahu Akbar,” Ruth. We’ve seen it in Afghanistan, Lebanon, Syria, and Qatar. We see it in Iran and Iraq. We’ve seen it in the old Soviet Union and China when Communism became the people’s god. We saw it in the streets of Ferguson, Portland, New York, and Seattle when “Anti-Racism” and “Defund the Police” become people’s gods.
But, when Christians actually stand up, and start asking for change, these people really freak out. It’s because most Christians cannot be swayed to worship the gods mentioned above. The Roman Empire didn’t like Christians because they wouldn’t worship the Caesars as gods. England didn’t like Christians who wouldn’t worship God and a king equally. Hitler put Christians in concentration camps because they wouldn’t blindly follow him as a god. China persecutes Christians because they won’t give up God and worship the Communist party. The same goes for North Korea and many countries in Africa.
VICE was quick to bang out a long list of speculations and knee-jerk clichés.
Notice the irrational fear these people have of Christians. Look at how terrified they are of a religion based on “Love thy neighbor,” and “Pray for your enemies,” and “Do not repay evil for evil.”
I love this new label they have created, “Christian Nationalist.” What exactly is the “Christian Nation?” We Christians do not have a nation. True followers of Jesus Christ do not even consider this WORLD their permanent home. The Bible tells us: “But our citizenship is in Heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Phillipians 3:20)
These media outlets fear what they do not understand. Christians do not have a “nation.” Again, Jesus said, “If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.” (John 15:19) But, nowhere does the Bible tell us to stay silent and not speak out when the nation we live in is going down the wrong path. And the 1st Amendment to the United States Constitution says that we have the right to gather and protest things the government does that we do not agree with .
Another outright lie I found in this VICE story stated:
“Two weeks ago the Texas National Guard seized control of Shelby Park in Eagle Pass, Texas—an epicenter of unauthorized border crossings—and erected razor wire around it, effectively limiting Border Patrol’s access to the area. It was an act of aggression in a simmering dispute between Texas and the federal government over who has jurisdictional authority over the border.”
Firstly, notice their opinion that : “It was an act of aggression…” Placing razor wire around a park OWNED by the state, or a local municipality, by a state entity empowered by the Governor of that state is not an act of “aggression.” The National Guard did not attack the Border Patrol. They did not shoot at the Border Patrol. They entered the park, asked the Border Patrol to leave, and the Border Patrol complied.
Secondly, Shelby Park is within the city of Eagle Pass. It is not “the border.” So Shelby Park falls under the jurisdictional authority of the state of Texas – not the federal government.
Next, the National Guard is not limiting the Border Patrol’s access to the park. Listen to this account from freelance journalist Chuck Holton. At the 5-minute, 12-second mark, he specifically states that he has observed Border Patrol coming and going in and out of the park, even launching their patrol boats at the boat ramps there. I wonder if Tess Owen, the author of this piece of garbage published by VICE, drove down to Texas and observed the situation before writing this crap. I’m willing to bet she didn’t.
VICE goes on to say, “Days later, a migrant woman and two children drowned while attempting to cross the Rio Grande into Eagle Pass. The Biden Administration claimed that the Texas National Guard prevented Border Patrol from saving them, which Texas has denied.” This statement is crafted to make you believe that this drowning was the fault of the Texas National Guard.
Tess doesn’t mention how many illegal aliens drowned in the Rio Grande before Texas locked down Shelby Park. Would it interest you to know that hundreds of “migrants” have died in the desert every year trying to enter our country illegally? Is that the fault of Texas? She also doesn’t state what side of the border this woman and children were on when they drowned. Do you know?
That’s extremely lazy “journalism.” So, we are to assume that a commissioned officer in the National Guard, hearing that there were people drowning in the river, said, “NO, you cannot go save them.” But, if Tess Owen had more than two brain cells to rub together, she might have found what I found on the Texas Military Department website – the official account from soldiers on the ground during that incident – not “the Biden Administration”, who hasn’t had any desire to get anywhere within 500 milies of the southern border since 2021.
When the Border Patrol notified the National Guard that there were people drowning, the soldiers had already acquired visual confirmation that Mexican authorities were recovering the bodies.
Of course, if you want to villainize Texas and the Guard, you run a story about a woman and her kids drowning while they blocked Shelby Park. But, let’s be honest about who’s fault that drowning is. Who drags two children into a deep, flowing river in the middle of the night? The National Guard didn’t drown them. The woman made a choice that cost lives. Period.
Finally, VICE couldn’t restrain themselves from publishing this: “These latest developments have aroused civil war fantasies on fringe forums, as well as on the social media accounts of GOP lawmakers and right-wing political commentators.”
I’ve read the forums. I’ve heard the talk. The talk of civil war is not “fantasy.” Its fear. People who believe in the Constitution fear what’s happening in our country right now. They fear authority figures who label Christians as “nationalists.” They fear a government who describes anyone demanding that government officials obey the law as “a right wing extremist.” They fear a government that let its FBI label mothers who speak out a school board meetings as “Domestic Terrorists.” And, by the way, who was it exactly who kept yelling “No Justice – No Peace” all through the summer of 2019? Was that “right wing extremists?”
Finally, there’s WIRED, which is supposed to be a magazine about computers and technology. It wouldn’t seem that politics and border disputes would be in their wheelhouse. But, why should they let something like ignorance stop them from publishing an article about it.
There’s that knee-jerk description again. Will someone please explain in the comments below what a “far-right extremist” is? Have the convoy organizers rounded up an entire race of people for extermination? Did they fly some planes into buildings in a major city? Did they riot and burn cities down over a criminal getting shot while trying to kill a police officer? Somebody just tell me, what these people have actually done that makes them “far-right wing extremists?”
It seems that the WIRED team gets their “news” from the Internet – not real life. The report seems to focus more on what people are saying online (where you can say anything anonymously.) And it appears that WIRED cherry picked the chat forums they searched to find just the kind of scary things that people have said to get us all afraid that there is a “militia” member behind every tree.
According to WIRED: “One group member suggested others bring ‘kits’ to the planned rallies so that ‘if stuff goes down you will be able to protect yourselves and help out.”
(By the way, “Kit” refers to gear and weapons worn and carried to conduct a military operation.)
Wow. ‘Kits’, huh? Do they mean like the kits being shown off by these ANTIFA members?? Or maybe we are talking about the ‘kits’ carried by this group calling themselves NFAC (or Not F***ing Around Coalition) who march in the streets fully armed, wearing military gear and body armor while demanding that statues they don’t like be torn down? Or, could we be talking about the ‘kits’ being proudly displayed by these Black Lives Matter protestors in public streets? Or maybe we are talking about the “kit” that ANTIFA member Michael Reinoehl was packing when he hid in a parking garage waiting for an unarmed “right winger” to walk by, then ambushed the guy, shooting and killing the unarmed man in the streets of Portland. Are these the “kits” WIRED is talking about?
Or, does WIRED want to make us believe that only “right wing extremists” have “kits” and talk about self defense? And, as my examples above clearly show, there are just as many (if not more so) Marxists, left-wing anarchists, and black supremacists armed to the teeth in this country as there are Constitutional militia types. However, it would seem that the leftists are far more prone to use their “kits.”
As I write this article, I’m watching a live YouTube video being broadcast from the Texas convoy. About 400 people are sitting around in lawn chairs, listening to people playing music and singing onstage. I hear people talking about how they love their country, and support the National Guard troops. One couple is talking about their son who is in rehab for fentanyl. Oh my God … now the reporter is PRAYING with those people – in the open! There is a large cross in front of the stage. I’m looking very closely for guns. I was in the Army and I was a cop. I’m TRAINED to look for and identify guns – both open and concealed. I’ve only seen ONE gun…and that was on a police officer. Watch the video. How many armed “right wing extremists” do you see?
So, laughably, WIRED wants to take the words of ONE person, in ONE chat room on the Internet, to paint a picture of huge “right wing” mobs with guns storming the border. Sorry, WIRED. You should stick to reporting on video games.
Another extremely ignorant statement I found in the WIRED article was this:
“…one member claimed, without evidence, that the Border Patrol is ‘letting known terrorists into the US.'” (bold emphasis added by me)
They made sure to inject the phrase “without evidence” into this, which is completely – and provably – false. And, I will now prove it.
THIS PAGE is from the House Committee on Homeland Security. The information I am about to present is directly from government agencies and officials’ testimonies before a congressional committee. These are THEIR numbers.
“In Fiscal Year (FY) 2023, CBP arrested 35,433 illegal aliens with criminal convictions nationwide, including 598 known gang members. In addition, 294 illegal aliens on the terrorist watchlist have been apprehended at the Southwest border between ports of entry since the beginning of FY 2021.”
This means that out of all the illegal aliens that were caught crossing the border since 2021, 294 were on the terrorist watch list.
“Under President Biden and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) sources have confirmed over 1.7 million known gotaways at the Southwest border.”
This means that 1.7 MILLION people illegally crossed our border, were at least observed by Border Patrol, but were not caught. How many of these were on our terrorist watch lists? It only took 19 to bring down the Twin Towers, and kill 2,977 innocent Americans – not counting all the first responders who have died from contamination over the last 22 years.
And, just recently, government documents were leaked that CONFIRM a known terrorist was detained at the border, and released into the US, allowed to remain free in the US for a year, and eventually arrested. So, without any doubt whatsoever, there IS evidence that “Border Patrol is “letting known terrorists into the US.”
WIRED published an article that was full of deception, and speculation. And, it was all simply to convince readers of their biased opinion that anyone going to a protest near the border is a crazy, dangerous, radical criminal who is a threat to our entire way of life here in America.
This is not an article about the border. It’s not an article about “left wing” politics versus “right wing” politics. But, the devil is in the details. WritersWeekly is about professional writing. That being the case, journalism falls into our purview. And, right now, the state of “journalism” in this country is abysmal, if not downright dangerous, and a serious threat to our representative republic system of government.
Many people calling themselves “journalists” are doing everything they can to hide the truth from the American people. Unfortunately, too many of the American people are too lazy to do just a little more clicking to find out just how accurate (or inaccurate) these stories actually are. Don’t be one of them. Do your own research. Seek out the truth for yourself. And, if you aspire to be a journalist, be strong enough to tell the truth wherever the chips may land. By getting in bed with the government, and telling lies to the people to forward its agenda, you will eventually become a slave to it.
Read Part 2 to see just how many of these “reporters'” warnings and speculations actually came true.
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- We Received the WORLD’S WORST Whiny Comment … and We’re Sharing It With YOU! – by Brian Whiddon, Managing Editor
Brian Whiddon – Managing Editor
Brian Whiddon is the Managing Editor of WritersWeekly.com and the Operations Manager at BookLocker.com. An Army vet and former police officer, Brian is the author of Blue Lives Matter: The Heart behind the Badge. He's an avid sailor, having lived and worked aboard his 36-foot sailboat, the “Floggin’ Molly” for 9 years after finding her abandoned in a boat yard and re-building her himself. Now, in northern Georgia, when not working on WritersWeekly and BookLocker, he divides his off-time between hiking, hunting, and farming.
I also think it’s important to note that crappy journalism isn’t as common as people think.
As the Poynter Institute said in a recent report, “The U.S. has an amazing number of good reporters producing stories that connect with people, who then actually read and share that work with friends.”
Many people think journalism is “bad” and “inaccurate” even if it isn’t when it doesn’t support their POV or biases. It’s horrible how journalist get blasted for producing “fake news” because the blaster doesn’t like the truth.
This is both the golden age of journalism, and the worst age of journalism.
There is a huge amount of great reporting happening. There are reporters doing some amazing stuff. We should tip our caps to them.
But there is lots of crappy and false information.
The problem is more about the consumers of news than the producers of news.
Lots of people turn to news sources that confirm their biases, and they don’t care if those sources are accurate as long as they hear what they want to hear. The marketplace is more than happy to oblige those people.
As the economics of the media industry have collapsed, reporting has become harder. Reporting takes time and that’s costly. In this Internet age, where a story has a shelf life of nothing, and news organizations can’t figure out how to turn a profit, it’s economically hard to support good reporting.
Because crappy journalism has better margins than great journalism.
Because crappy journalism has better margins than great journalism.
You know what, William? I don’t think I could have said it any better.
Kudos on digging out the actual government reports and eye witness reports. Sadly the counter argument articles you linked to are largely notoriously right-leaning, save the Australian Broadcast Corporation, which is left. I think it just goes to show we can’t utterly escape bias in today’s media landscape. I’m at the point of just going to CDC websites or looking up climate data from the National Weather Service, as a couple examples. I didn’t think majoring in journalism would also help me save my sanity.
I finally know who I am voting for for President, Brian Whiddon. Unfortunately, he is probably too smart to take the job, just the kind of person we need now.
Thank you for your excellent commentary. If people from both sides will take the time to read the Revelation (last book of the Bible) they will understand how it addresses todays atmosphere perfectly. This means doing the homework and studying the word in the original Greek form. I have done this and was totally amazed enough to write about it. Journalist, protestors, etc. of today do not possess the common sense to sanely handle things. A very wise friend of mine once said ‘ignorance is eating them alive’. How very true and its getting worse by the day.
I really appreciate not only your indignation but the time you spent trying to flush out the truth. Sadly, the main fact remains that we are in the last days as prophesied in the Bible… and extremely evidenced by both our cultural failings and personal tendencies to be only concerned with self, and not the greater good. Not that the entire population is that way, but unfortunately those in high places, and “supposedly running the show”… seem to be completely lacking in basic ethics, morals, character, integrity… much less common sense, or merely modest wisdom. When you go back to the first round of the election of Trump, I was appalled at the vehement reactions, even to those who were going to boycott the inauguration — and the full out attacks against him before he was really in office, much less afterwards. Whereas Biden has basically destroyed the country on-going for three full years, and has not yet been impeached. What a world. No, we can’t seem to change it. But we as a people better start getting into our prayer closets and beseeching God for help and intervention, or the what-we-used-to-know as America is truly doomed.
Richard, I fully agree with you. I feel that God has handed people over to their depraved minds. Good is called evil and evil is called good. People reject the truth and consciously seek out false teachers who tell them what they want to hear. I think you are right.
And, personally, I say “Cool.” We’re just that much closer to Jesus’ return. I’m ready.
But at the same time, Jeremiah kept warning people of God’s wrath right up to the very point that Babylon conquered Jeruselem and fulfilled his prophesy. I’ll keep banging the pots and pans until God relieves me of my duty to spread his word and warn people to wake up and recognize what’s real.
Your article reminded me of an article I wrote a long time ago. I know it is long, but I wanted to share it with you. Thanks for saying what I have been saying for a long time. Terry
How media can subtly influence readers and viewers
Remember by-lined articles in newspapers back in the day because they contained the writer’s opinion? Straight news articles were sans authors’ name because they just stated the facts of who, what when, and where.
The editorial page is the place for opinionated articles, op-eds, and essays.
How many non-bylined articles do you see today? Not many, if any. Now “journalists” are plying their egotistical trade by including their personal opinion in everything they do and, in fact, include a hell of a lot of bias and misinformation that most readers or viewers don’t even catch the subtle ways they do it.
One way is “bias by omission.” Student Daily News–a source that helps high school students to build knowledge of current events and strengthen their critical thinking skills—defines this phenomenon.
“Bias by omission – leaving one side out of an article, or a series of articles over a period of time; ignoring facts that tend to disprove liberal or conservative claims, or that support liberal or conservative beliefs; bias by omission can occur either within a story, or over the long term as a particular news outlet reports one set of events, but not another.”
I offer the following examples that dumbing down Americans of all persuasions:
① The Media Research Center studies trends in journalism. It pointed out what it called “Shameless Bias by Omission.” The bias was displayed during the Obama administration. It concerned the lack of news coverage of the Catholic Church suing then President Obama over the administration’s interpretation of how a “religious institution” was defined under ObamaCare law. ”You’d think the largest legal action in American history in defense of religious liberty would be a major news story,” said the Center. (Emphasis mine) ABC, CBS, and NBC did not give the suit any airtime at all and CBS devoted only 19 seconds.
Comment: By not covering this ground-breaking story, this lack of coverage protected Obamacare’s narrow interpretation since many Catholics were unaware of the church’s legal suit because the main stream television networks omitted any mention of it.
② Taking things out of context is another example of bias by omission. Take for example when President Trump called MS-13 a bunch of “animals.” The media took his words out of context and headlines screamed that he called all immigrants animals. The Washington Post headline read, “Calling immigrants ‘animals,’ Trump evokes an ugly history of dehumanization.” USA Today said it this way in its headline. “Trump ramps up rhetoric on undocumented immigrants. These aren’t people. These are animals.’ (Emphasis mine)
Comment: People who only read headlines and not read the complete text would be led to believe that President Trump actually despised immigrants. I cannot believe that the headline writers for these publications did not read the articles and determine that what he was referring to was MS-13 members. Bias for sure…or was it stupidity? I believe it was bias at its worse.
③ An article in the San Antonio Express-News concerning the Catholic Charities of San Antonio being honored with a community service award by the Association of Hispanic Journalists left out an important fact by omission. The article stated that the charity was selected for its role helping reunite Central American migrant parents with their children, “who had been separated from them at the U.S.-Mexico border under Trump administration policy”. (Emphasis mine).
Comment: Yes, that is a partial true statement. It is the policy of the Trump administration. But what it does not say is that the policy was established by the Obama administration. By leaving out this major point, readers will naturally read that President Trump is responsible for whole issue of separating children from their parents. I think the article should have also stated that the cause of the situation is due to the lack of interest displayed by Congress.
These are a few examples of bias by omission. I could go on. There are hundreds more. All media seem to do it these days and that includes both liberal and conservative outlets. When can the media get back to the days when news reported contained just the facts, offer both sides of the story, challenge the statements of both sides, and let the readers and viewers make up their own minds?
I’m really surprised that you have so many positive comments. Mine is not. I am from that out of touch, elite Ivory tower crowd considered too liberal to be part of America anymore. The mainstream media cover the world every day. Critics can focus on one news story. Media journalists are often on the scene and are not embedded in the story they are reporting on. All they have time for is a headline or two. They don’t have time like you, to look at all sides of the issue, and pick it apart in an article from your personal viewpoint.
The situation in Texas with its very long border with Mexico, is very messy right now. So unlike the 20 years my parents spent winters on the border when we could cross freely and share a Mexican culture when the current immigration law was enacted. Probably why Congress cannot decide on a reasonable bill and regulations for the president to enforce right now. Perhaps you should visit and see for yourself. A good friend of mine is a commander in the Texas Guard (not the National Guard). He is also a renowned history professor with many books published. He’s a non-fiction writer who encouraged me to write fiction.
I’m sure the convoys that went to the Capital would claim to be Christian. Throughout my life, I have found that most of the people who claimed to be the most Christian, were hypocrites. I was raised Christian and the president of a college ecumenical church group fighting for civil rights that are still not granted and an end to the Vietnam war. Texas is now weaponized. Our news is filled with road rage and family shootings. I have reason to believe that the peaceful Christian convoy was heavily armed.
To call the mainstream media authoritarian and Marxist seems rather strange when the last president who scared everyone who didn’t have legal papers in the country was authoritarian. He seemed to be more inclined to buddy with Marxist dictators than work with the leaders of our allies around the world.
All the mainstream media has time for is the big picture. You are right, for the nitty-gritty details you have to read more. But I think we need to stop beating up the media for trying to do their job fairly without bias like so many, so called news sources, that are really merely propaganda catering to our fears, don’t.
Ron, I’m only going to address 3 of your points, although I could go a lot further. But I’m going to stay on track with what my article was actually about – media bias and lies.
So, what you are saying is that, since there are SO MANY newsworthy stories, and the mainstream media is SO busy, that it gives them a free pass to just make stuff up and move on? Why can’t they pick a story apart and find the TRUTH? Isn’t that kind of the definition of a “journalist?”
I’m really sorry that you’ve met so many people claiming to be Christians who were hypocrites. Perhaps you should seek out people who strive to follow Jesus and the Word of God. Or could it be that you expect perfection from human beings who follow Christ. No matter how redeemed or forgiven a person is, they will never be perfect. That’s the whole point of being Christian, to be forgiven when we aren’t perfect.
Would you like to present evidence that supports your assertion that “the peaceful Christian convoy was heavily armed.” Were you in the convoy? Can you describe the weapons you observed? The very reason the media kept throwing out the word “ARMED” was to insinuate that these people exercising their 1st Amendment right to peacefully protest are somehow a violent threat. They have not yet committed any acts of violence, but the media want people to believe that they will. THAT is propaganda. However, even if they are “heavily armed,” what does it matter? They have a 2nd Amendment right to keep and bear arms, unless they are in possession of weapons that are specifically prohibited by state or federal law.
I carry a .45 pistol with me every day, everywhere I go. I’m a former soldier and police officer with thousands of hours of training and experience in firearms use. Our news is filled with road rage and family shootings. Does this make me “heavily armed?” And if so, what does it matter, since I’ve never committed a violent crime in my life, nor used my gun in anger? Would I be any more dangerous if I was in that convoy? Or do I suddenly become a “right wing” terrorist because “so called news sources, that are really merely propaganda catering to our fears” would choose to call me such??
Stay tuned for Part 2 next week where I will address exactly how much violence was committed by the “Armed Border Convoy.”
Ron, you give mass media a pass to just give headlines because “all they have time for is a headline or two,” not ACTUAL research. With that statement of yours alone you made the writer’s point.
As for the last president that you claim “scared everyone,” – He was the first president in 40+ years to NOT put us in a war and NOT make us join someone else’s war. This made me feel SAFER not scared. That cannot be said for the current person carrying the title of president.
As for hypocrites… in my own experience, everyone is a hypocrite to one degree or another, including you.
EXCELLENT article! The lack of real journalism in our country is creating a crisis of mind-boggling proportions. People tend to believe what they hear and read, but these mainstream sources are no longer trustworthy. Even when confronted with the truth, as seen in the released Jan. 6 videos, the damage has already been done and people’s minds are made up to believe what they were told. In my opinion, there can be no insurrection when the protesters are armed with nothing more lethal than pepper spray. This was really and truly a set-up.
Brian – This article was on the money in every possible way. Thank you for a well thought-out, researched and written story. As a former reporter for a small-town newspaper (1986-1992), I saw at ground level the biases and agendas of the so-called journalists I worked for. In those six years, I had one editor — one — who’s do a riverdance on your desk if he ever caught you expressing one of your own opinions in a story. But editors like that are gone, now.
Anyway. Fantastic story. Keep up the good work!
Charles Culbertson
Love this!! Preach it!!
Romans 1:16.
El McMeen
Thank you. I love you. In the Christian way… ☺️ I find it infuriating and somewhat frightening that the “Media” is more ‘in bed’ with the enemy of our souls than they are with telling truth. I live in California – the more conservative area of San Diego County. Our governor – a buddy of Canada’s Communist Prime Minister – is a throne-seeking, puffed-up tin-god, who would love to ascend to the Presidency of the U.S.A. Please. I beg of all who might read this, tell everyone you know, your relatives, friends, and neighbors who live all over this country: DO NOT VOTE FOR GAVIN NEWSOM FOR PRESIDENT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES. If you do, you will be voting for a “real” dictator.
Thank you, Brian, for writing this coverage of the true facts about reporting in America that bear out my own thinking. I have been following the American situation closely for the past few years since the start of Covid. The biased journalism is very evident. Sadly, it is also apparent here in Australia too. Both our countries have become seriously divided and in my opinion much of it can be put down to the media. ‘They can sway elections and put us all in jeopardy.
I look forward to reading Part 2 of your article.
If responsible journalism dies, we’re all dead.
Thank you for helping us all get dumber. Put down the bong.
Hi Brian.
Now that you’ve offered the type of comment I’d expect from a 5th grader, by all means, explain your position. Gather some facts and show everyone where I’m wrong. I’ll happily post your comments here for all to see. Hopefully, you’ll come up with something with a little more substance than you have here.
Brian:
You make a lot of good points but I think you are misinterpreting, at least in some cases, why Christians are being demonized.
People who criticize the Christian movement are not criticizing their Christianity but their lack of Christianity, their failure to follow the Golden Rule. Those Christians who are white supremacists and many of them are, are total hypocrites. That’s the reason for the criticism.
I also looked up the story of the drowning family and as I had previously heard, an order from Abbott prevented the Border Patrol from attempting a rescue. I’m pasting in part of the transcript from NPR, which I have always found to be reliable and which interviews a reporter who covers Texas:
“The Department of Homeland Security says Texas is responsible for the drowning of a woman and two children in the Rio Grande along the U.S.-Mexico border. The department says the state blocked federal Border Patrol agents from accessing a park in Eagle Pass, Texas, on Friday night. The agents were trying to rescue migrants in distress who were crossing the river. It’s the latest spat in a growing feud between the state and federal authorities over access to the border. Joining us now to talk about the latest is Texas Public Radio’s Dan Katz. Hi, Dan.
DAN KATZ: Thanks for having me.
FADEL: So, federal Border Patrol agents accusing Texas of being responsible for these deaths. What’s the state’s response?
KATZ: Well, as with everything, there’s a dispute over the facts. But let’s start with what’s not in dispute. The state did, in fact, block the Border Patrol from accessing this area. It’s part of an escalating standoff between Governor Greg Abbott and the Biden administration over who controls the border. Abbott essentially took control of the 47-acre Shelby Park on the Rio Grande, which is owned by the city of Eagle Pass. It’s been a hot spot for migrant crossings, although lately the numbers have been down. As far as Texas’ culpability in the drownings, that’s the dispute. Last night, the Texas military department released a statement pointing out that the migrant woman and two children had already drowned by the time Border Patrol reached out to them about performing a rescue operation.
FADEL: So tell us more about the circumstances that night that led to these drownings. What do we know?
KATZ: So we know that Border Patrol got a call from Mexican authorities warning them that a group of migrants was attempting to cross the river. Nighttime is always dangerous, and it’s been particularly cold here. People can drown in just minutes. And the Border Patrol says it tried repeatedly to call Texas officials about the possible rescue. And when that didn’t work, they drove to the shuttered park gates and were told by Texas National Guard soldiers at the gate that they couldn’t let anyone in, including them, even in the case of an emergency like this. Mexican officials recovered the bodies of the woman and the two children on Friday night and rescued two others in the group who are suffering from hypothermia.
FADEL: The Justice Department has filed two lawsuits against the state of Texas over Abbott’s border policies. How does this latest incident fit into this legal fight?
KATZ: Well, the Biden administration is threatening a third lawsuit if Border Patrol isn’t given access to the park by end of day Wednesday. They’ve also asked the Supreme Court to intervene. The other suits involved the buoys that Abbott placed in the Rio Grande in Eagle Pass, and a new law that Abbott signed that would allow Texas law enforcement to arrest anyone they suspect of crossing illegally. Of course, immigration enforcement is federal. There’s precedent that it’s not under the purview of states. But that’s what Abbott’s trying to challenge here.”
“Those Christians who are white supremacists and many of them are, are total hypocrites.” – Please provide your data to prove conclusively that “many” Christians are white supremacists. In fact, by definition, anyone who is a white supremacist can NOT be a Christian. Jesus, while in human form, was a Middle Eastern Jew. So, for someone to choose to follow Jesus, they have already made a decision so surrender and subjugate themselves to someone other than a white Anglo Saxon. Those who claim to be “Christian” but believe in the superiority of one particular race over all others are certainly hyocrites, but not actually Christian.
Matthew 7:21-23 specifically warns: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.”
So, no matter what people choose to call themselves, they either make an honest effort to follow Christ and change themselves – or they don’t. It’s pretty simple. Racists (regardless of color) and white (or any other color) supremacists are NOT doing the WILL OF THE FATHER, and therefore are NOT truly Christians. But Satan sure loves to fool people into believing the otherwise.
As far as NPR’s coverage of the drowning story: NPR (National Public Radio) is an entity of the federal government. It exists solely on taxpayer money and “grants” from special interest groups. They do not depend on advertisers who look at ratings and listenership to decide whether to invest in them or not. If they did, they would cease to exist.
I noticed a few things about this interaction:
1) They had no guest offering an opposing viewpoint. Why not?
2) The details are vague. What was the timeline of the incident? What side of the border were the illegal crossers on at the time they drowned? Why didn’t the Border Patrol launch a helicopter rescue? I know they have helicopters. Have you ever launched a boat at a boat ramp. It takes a while.
3) Have you ever gone to a beach that says “No Lifeguard on Duty” or “Swim at Your Own Risk”? I have. And if I choose to swim at such a posted beach, will there be a national uproar because the National Guard didn’t come out and save me?
4) What guarantee do we have that IF the woman and children were still alive at the time Border Patrol approached Shelby Park and IF Border Patrol launched a boat, that they would have reached the people illegally swimming across the Rio Grande in time to save them?
Which brings me to #5) IF a woman with two children (or a group, or whatever) had NOT chosen to attempt to illegally cross into the United States by swimming across a river in the dark of night, but instead approached a legal border entry point, then would that woman and those children have drowned?
Thank you for this. I was a journalism student in the mid 70s and objectivity was the number one rule. Not only is that gone for good, our right to free speech was torched along with it. I’m so sad for the state of truth in our country. I’m even more sad that anyone who dares to speak the truth is demonized and harassed for doing so. I feel that we’re doomed and I can’t imagine how the coming generations will survive.