Don't Believe The Hype

Frank Borelli
Editor In Chief
New American Truth
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If we believe everything that is printed in the mainstream media (MSM) these days, our country is facing huge problems. I’m not talking about the wars or the economy; those ARE challenges our country is facing. I’m talking about – to me – fictional issues that are sensationalized by the MSM to pump up their sales. Things like the deepening racial divide, growing gun violence, and the chasm between police and citizens.

To me, most of that is just plain bunk. Yes, I believe racism exists in America. I believe there are several causes:

1. Pure stupidity: I know folks who are racist for no other reason than that they’ve never opened their eyes or mind to reality. Instead they remain immersed in a fictional reality created by television and movies. As an example: if you watch enough television crime drama you’ll learn that all white people are either lawyers, doctors, investigators, politicians or dumb white redneck trash. Hmmm… I think there are a lot more folks out there than those that fall in those restricted categories.
2. Willful Hatred: Some folks just don’t have it in them – probably because of how they were raised, but sometimes due to experiences in their lives – to like or love anyone outside their own race. Usually these folks live a hateful lonely life and die early from a mixture of stress and the effects of whatever substance they use to try to hide from their own hatred.
3. Good Intentioned Cultural Pride: It’s not wrong to be proud of where you’re from or your family’s heritage. But some things just probably won’t ever be socially acceptable. Flying the Confederate Flag in your yard is going to make people think you favor slavery. Does it mean that? Absolutely not. But thanks to the MSM and incomplete history education in our public school systems, that’s how it will be taken. The same observation can be made to show how folks of other races or cultures can do things that make them appear racist against whites. Cultural pride is not and should not ever go away. Working to understand it and share it will take an open mind and a willingness to accept new ideas.

That’s just a few. But how many of them are real? Sure, in over-populated urban centers (cities) there might be an overflow of crime or violence. Is it a result of racism? or is it a result of over-population and financial distress amongst ALL the residents of that area?

Let’s look at the “gun violence” problem. For decades now there have been organizations in our country and segments of our government which have sought to increase gun control legislation. Probably the most well known, least effective legislation in recent history was the “Assault Weapons Ban” Clinton signed into law that did so much good for the decade it was in effect that it wasn’t renewed. It was a miserable failure. BUT, if you believe the MSM, gun violence is still a huge problem and law enforcement professionals across the country are screaming for new effective gun control legislation. Cops have to be able to defend themselves you’ll read.

Well, it just ain’t so. Yes, cops need to defend themselves. As a retired officer I can state from knowledge and experience that the ownership of a firearm by a law abiding citizen never once, in my 24 years in uniform, ever presented a threat to me. The possession of illegally obtained firearms by criminals did. No matter reality, there are still folks proclaiming that if we just limit all guns to ten rounds, or if we only ever let citizens buy one gun a month, or if we ban certain types of bullets… if we just make more laws, our streets will be safer. I never bought into that and I wondered if it was just me? or did other folks think like I did?

Officer.com (the other hat I wear) recently did a poll to ascertain how street cops felt about the assault weapons ban. As it turns out, after over 1200 votes were cast, only 12% of street cops who voted thought the assault weapons ban would do any good. 48% thought it wouldn’t make a difference and the remainder actually felt that it hurt their safety on and off duty. Hmmm. I wrote a blog to call attention to that poll and the comments I got back were enlightening. Several of them indicated that the police officers commenting were HAPPY law abiding citizens had guns. The outlook in general was: the more good people who have and can legally carry guns, the less crime there will be. Go figure.

So, as I contemplated all of this I wondered where all “the hype” comes from. It dawned on me that a very few people spew some really silly statements which are picked up and reported so widely by the MSM that those few people and their few words become revered as historical fact and societal ideology – when neither is true.

Hold fast and stand firm is my advice. Common sense will eventually rule the day. Willful ignorance has never won a battle.

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