Media Needs To Cover Political Stories With More Tact (Opinion)

I think we need to come to grips with some pretty harsh realities right now.

I would never presume to tell somebody how to do their job, or act like I am always setting the example of professionalism and decency in America.

I don’t have many strengths in life, but self-awareness is definitely one of them. .

This, I do know though: People are scared. People are stressed. People are divided.

Some of this is organic, but a good percentage of this is brought about by the media landscape that we currently live in.

I love how diversified media has become. It has allowed so many new voices to enter the conversation that would have never had a shot when the industry was more consolidated… Present company included.

That brings some questionable opinions out of the woodwork as well though.

Love it or hate it, this is what being American is all about.

Here’s where I draw the line…

What happened to Charlie Kirk is sad. Gun violence should never be championed.

It also happens every day. Multiple times a day. It is the “cost of freedom” that we have deemed acceptable.

For the record, I’m not saying I’m accepting it, but this seems like the direction the country wants to go in.

Charlie Kirk was know for, in my opinion, some pretty questionable takes.

Claiming the Civil Rights Movement was a mistake. Saying black women were inferior intellectually. Saying that gun violence was necessary in the name of the 2nd Amendment. Quoting the Bible to highlight the penalty for homosexuality was stoning people to death. So, so many comments about the transgender community. I could go on.

Despite all of this, he did not deserve to lose his life.

Here’s the kicker though, ladies and gentleman: NOBODY KNOWS WHY THIS HAPPENED YET.

This could have been an angry liberal. It could have been someone in the LGBTQ community. It could’ve been a member of the minority population mad about some questionable comments. It could have been a Trump supporter who felt like he was playing both sides of the fence. It could have been someone mad about the Epstein coverup. It could’ve been someone mad about his take on foreign policy. It could’ve been someone who had a personal vendetta.

You get my point.

Unfortunately, when you turn on right wing media. It seems like they’ve already jumped to the conclusion that a Liberal was involved.

No evidence (since when does “journalism” require evidence). No suspect. Nothing.

Despite this fact. plenty of voices all over the media-sphere are not shy about celebrating the idea of civil war with their fellow Americans.

IT’S DISGUSTING!!

And it’s only exacerbated by a (small) percentage of Liberal voices online celebrating what took place.

Here’s the difference: I would like every random account on Twitter to be compassionate when talking about a husband and father losing his life, but I shouldn’t expect it.

There’s 350 million Americans, and some of them are going to say some crappy things. There’s nothing we can do about that.

Members of the media have a DIFFERENT expectation. Members of Congress have a DIFFERENT expectation.

I take my responsibility very seriously, and unfortunately, after the events that unfolded yesterday, it looks like I’m one of the only ones

Take a look at this aggregate post presented by MeidasTouch:

This is an ALARMING number of big time accounts.

With view counts ranging from 10s of 1000s all the way into the millions.

All of them calling for some variation of Civil War.

These are what we call FEAR MONGERS, ladies and gentleman.

What’s worse? It doesn’t end in the media.

Some of Wisconsin’s own members of Congress are fanning the flames even further.

I’m going to provide the text of one tweet from Derrick Van Orden that I can’t seem embed, possibly for technical reasons, the original is still up on Twitter as of the posting of this article:

“This horrible crime by a savage, now @charliekirk11 being murdered. The left and their policies are leading America into a civil war. And they want it. Just like the democrat party wanted our 1st civil war. The gloves are off. This I will Defend.”

It doesn’t stop there either. Here’s another quote from a Derrick Van Orden tweet:

“Let’s remember how the last civil war the @dccc @DNC  started, ended. They got yesterday what they wanted in Butler. The wind has been sowed.”

He’s got about a dozen or so more saying the same thing.

I can’t stress enough… THIS GUY HAS NO IDEA WHO DID THE SHOOTING. NOBODY KNOWS WHO DID THE SHOOTING.

This is a sitting member of Congress, in conjunction with (what appears like) a coordinated effort with right wing groups, stoking political tensions without a single shred of evidence.

I reached out to his office for comment, as of this writing, I haven’t heard back yet.

Here’s the kicker… the shooter may in fact BE a registered Democrat… and that STILL wouldn’t justify this kind of rhetoric.

Moments after the shooting, a talking head on MSNBC made callous comments about the shooting, I’m assuming in an attempt to go viral.

Instead he was fired.

Almost immediately.

That’s what this should look like.

Listen guys, we don’t hate each other.

We’re being fed into a pipeline of hate, anger, and frustration, and it’s the marginal Representatives like Derrick Van Order steering us in that direction.

DON’T FALL FOR IT

I covered this story for 2 straight hours today from a dozen different perspectives.

If you’d like to hear more of my thoughts, click the player up top.

[Spreaker: Outside the Box] [MeidasTouch]