What Triggers the Mob

How can the removal (or destruction) of any external object purge the human psyche of a disgraceful mind-set like racism?

Recall that all history is a series of discrete events locked in time: unchanging and unalterable. Therefore, today's revisionist fervor directed at America's antebellum past is misguided. Like amber dating back 100 million years to the mid-Cretaceous period (proving Tyrannosaurus rex had bird-like feathers), would it be right to destroy a specimen simply because the subject could evoke some existential human dread of prehistoric monsters? An absurd example that makes an important point: Confederate statuary, like dinosaur bones, only demonstrate the existence of a thing. Yet, meaning is inherently fluid: applied in the now by the living.

To eradicate historical artifacts in the name of progressives' “progress” is jackbooted fascism. It's the real-life manifestation of George Orwell's “1984”. Specifically, Big Brother is the identity politics-obsessed Democratic Party. Their creature is the violently inflamed street mob: faceless, mindless and everywhere. One prominent example is Black Lives Matter who on August 29, 2015 publicly proclaimed, “Pigs [cops] in a blanket, fry ’em like bacon.” On CNN, this lawless group was praised by Georgetown University sociology professor Michael Eric Dyson who said Wednesday, “The people that we claim, Black Lives Matter, the antifa movement, and so on, are interested in preserving the fabric of America.” So, exactly how does a cop-killing advocacy group “preserve” American society?

Democrats demonize today’s law enforcement officers—simply for wearing a uniform (and perhaps carrying a gun)—as indiscriminately as long-dead American icons. Telling examples are found in the murder capital of Chicago. Instead of spotlighting the skyrocketing death toll, the aggrieved and clueless like Bishop James Dukes, pastor of the Liberation Christian Center, has asked the mayor's office to remove monuments to two U.S. presidents including Founding Father George Washington. Even worse, a Chicagoean malcontent has vandalized a giant bust of Abraham Lincoln—our slavery-abolishing 16^th president—with a flammable spray. Thusly, President Trump's Thursday Tweet is prescient, “Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson—who's next, Washington, Jefferson? So foolish.” What's foolish is in the name of “tolerance”, the intolerant constantly attack the undeserving, then as now, as “racist” bogeymen.

Anti-American anarchists populating the left thrive by causing chaos and disruption. Their whack-a-mole strategy is based on a fundamental flaw of reasoning: that the inanimate—especially what they label triggering symbols—can be blamed for flawed human choices that constantly mold society. Hence, their fascist impulses to prohibit what's objectionable only to them: guns, cops or Confederate figures. Yet, none of these groupings automatically cause problems. In truth, almost anything physical can be weaponized. For instance, would Virginia be wise to ban all cars because one crazed individual, James Alex Fields Jr., 20, killed Charlottesville resident Heather Heyer, 32, with his silver Dodge Challenger?

What plagues our culture are Democrats who exploit various tragedies for their own divisive political ends. They don't see the evolved reality of the melting pot that is 21^st century America. For them and their followers, individual responsibility is nonexistent. Instead, liberals promote victimhood narratives—eagerly embraced by those easily manipulated by fictional offenses—to incite actual violence.

Simply as a record, history deserves to be protected because all men are fallible, and wrongdoers exist in every age. The mistake our generation is making is focusing on them instead of their hateful modern-day equivalents.

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Brainless Griffin's “Headless Trump”

Is the abhorrent image of a “blood-soaked decapitated head” resembling President Donald Trump “art”? This visual horror is suspended in the air invoking the classic image of Perseus holding Gorgon Medusa's head. It's the kind of ugly propaganda one would expect from a proponent of radical Islamic terror, not self-proclaimed “D-list” comedienne Kathy Griffin, 56. This unapologetic liberal—an outspoken Trump critic—obviously subscribes to Irish dramatist Oscar Wilde's axiom: “There is only one thing in life worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about.” Among those taking notice is the Secret Service, charged with evaluating all perceived threats to any U.S. president. One of the agency's tweeted responses: “Threats made against @SecretService protectees receive the highest priority of all of our investigations. #ProtectionNeverRests.”  That's territory well beyond the controversial. That's an idiotic foray into the foolhardy.

As Griffin's now on the Secret Service's radar, she's been on the fringe of Hollywood celebrity for a long time. For context, she's a less successful contemporary of has-been pop singer Madonna. Like the middle-aged “Material Girl” (most famous for her recent public utterance, “Yes, I have thought an awful lot about blowing up the White House.”), Ms. Griffin's attention-grabbing militancy has utterly overshadowed her considerable comedic talent. That ability has resulted in notable past successes: she's won two Emmy Awards for her reality TV show “My Life on the D-List” and is one of only three women to win solo Grammy Awards for comedy. What she's known for today is this odious, anti-American political antic.

These days it's a rarity for the left and right to agree on anything. Yet, both sides widely condemned Ms. Griffin's publicity stunt. While morally challenged Hillary Clinton has remained tellingly silent, even her daughter Chelsea tweeted, “This is vile and wrong. It is never funny to joke about killing a president.” For comparison, let's consider an unthinkable scenario. What if vanquished Hillary had won the 2016 presidential election and a famous conservative had held her “blood-drenched severed head” in effigy? Better still, imagine the crazed and violent reaction of leftist political radicals if the likeness had depicted a “decapitated Obama”? Thus, how could the measure of Ms. Griffin's outrage be made any more plain?

How could this public figure—this veteran of naked self-promotion—not predict the thunderous backlash? (President Trump being defended—by any Democrat, for any reason—is disorienting stuff indeed!) So far Ms. Griffin received little more than a few slaps on the wrist. Per Variety Magazine, she's been fired from her ten-year gig as the co-host of CNN's annual New Year’s Eve program with anchor Anderson Cooper. Likewise, a couple venues on her Celebrity Run-In Tour in Albuquerque, NM and Grass Valley, CA have canceled scheduled appearances. Yet, counterbalance a few days of lost work with the media bonanza of numerous internet stories—and blurbs on the nightly news!

In her defense, Ms. Griffin (unlike Madonna) quickly apologized on Tuesday for the uproar she caused. Naturally, this provocateur enjoys First Amendment protections for her inflaming shenanigans. And as her comedic signature is known for brutal honesty, perhaps her posted mea culpa is genuine. Still, whether that's true or not, isn't really the point: TMZ reported Wednesday that President Trump's understandably panicked 11-year-old son Barron thought the horrifying televised image featuring Griffin was real.

How could this innocent know any better? Unfortunately, he was in the family's New York City penthouse with first lady Melania Trump, not in the White House. In any case, she released a statement that goes right to the heart of unhinged progressives' thoughtless tactics:

“[That photo] makes you wonder about the mental health of the person who did it. As a mother, a wife, and a human being, that photo is very disturbing. When you consider some of the atrocities happening in the world today, a photo opportunity like this is simply wrong.”

To that end, per Fox News, one is automatically reminded of 119 wounded and 22 killed, including many children, at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester on May 22^nd. Did the world really need the made-up gore Ms. Griffin peddled?

Unfairly, this reality TV star has benefited from Barron's suffering—and the presidential family's collective disgust. The fact remains that Kathy Griffin's gone viral in a way that the infamous Oscar Wilde of the 19^th century could not fathom. Hence, this social media firestorm is a good effort for the woman whose shtick includes such gems as, “Well, I've been trying to sleep my way to the middle for my whole career.” Although said in jest, Ms. Griffin's self-serving ploy of “cutting edge” pop culture infamy is accomplished.

Whatever the ultimate consequences—good or bad—this agitator's made her bed. A raunchy bed she alone must sleep in.

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Between Contempt and Trump's Fist

“The shortest honeymoon on record is officially over. Normally, newly elected presidents enjoy a wave of goodwill that allows them to fly high at least through their first 100 days. Donald Trump has not yet been sworn in and the honeymoon has already come and gone.” – Charles Krauthammer, author and syndicated columnist, on January 12, 2017

Trump's honeymoon hasn't “come and gone”. For the MSM, it never existed in the first place. The Donald's victory has rightfully exposed them as fools. Yet, who's really to blame for their own inexcusably wrongheaded political predictions? They made mistakes then—and their current misbehavior only amplifies their public disgrace. Rather than reform and accept journalistic responsibility, they have engaged in petulant antics worthy of a sideshow farce. What else explains Jim Acosta's clownish aggression at Mr. Trump's latest press conference? Is it not unprofessional to repeatedly interrupt, and attempt to shout over, the President-elect? Does Mr. Acosta work for CNN—or the Jerry Springer Show?

The American press is now populated by many “accosting” Acostas. Their knee-jerk Republican-bashing is the primary reason for their systemic failures. For decades, the journalistic credo of objective, fact-based reporting has been completely abandoned. Even worse, the Fourth Estate has metastasized into the propagandist arm of the Democratic Party. To this end, they have been radicalized by progressive ideology. Therefore, they are incapable of performing their original watchdog function: to hold political leaders of every stripe accountable to the American people. It's no wonder why our democracy is so dysfunctional!

Rather than counterbalance a faceless big government bureaucracy—and insulated ruling class elite—the MSM has become the Democrats' 21^st century “Uncle Tom”. For proof, contrast the tone—and treatment—of Barack Obama versus that of President-elect Donald Trump. Dispositions of the two men notwithstanding, any neutral observer would acknowledge a profound difference. For eight years, Mr. Obama has been virtually deified by a fawning, servile media. However, Mr. Trump—not even in office yet—has had more harsh questions and rough treatment in his last press conference than Obama had in his entire presidency! In retrospect, has any reporter made such a public nuisance of himself at an Obama chinwag? Has anyone in the press corps held two-faced Obama to account for his lies and misrepresentations? Has anyone interrupted him, or shouted him down, for his failed domestic and international record? If reporters had actually done their job, America would be in a far better state than it is today.

Moreover, with their shrinking audience and waning influence, what little remains is now further eroded by the emergence of “fake news”. Seriously, does anyone in their right mind believe BuzzFeed's fantasy of Trump golden showers on prostitutes in a Russian hotel suite? As CNN promoted this nonsense, only the deluded safely locked away in metal institutions are likely to believe them going forward. Further, as Mr. Trump is a self-described germaphobe, did NBC (a major BuzzFeed investor) or CNN take that little fact into account? When two major media outfits won't differentiate between reality and fiction, the waters are only muddied to that whole industry's increasing detriment.

That's why Mr. Trump is not afforded a honeymoon: something every new president richly deserves. This utter lack of fair play makes The New York Times's current financial problems—or CNN's low ratings—no mystery. Americans are tired of being falsely labeled as deplorables by progressives. This holds true for Hillary Clinton style politicians and their contemptible attack dog news organizations.

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Mining Trash for Squirrelly Journalism

“Don't be rude. No, I'm not going to give you a question. You are fake news!” – President-elect Donald Trump to interrupting upstart CNN's Jim Acosta on January 11, 2017

Oh, the deplorable state of the American press. Was the death knell to progressive reporters signaled by John Kelly's column about mating leopard slugs in his driveway in August of 2015? How about in March of 2016 when he wrote yet another trivial piece on a credit card circular found in his mailbox? Did these non-news renderings tip some karmic scale, accelerating the downfall of this whole disreputable industry? Indeed, one assuming that the above was the bottom of The Washington Post's journalistic barrel would be wrong. It turns out for the MSM that January of 2017 has set a new low.

Not to be outdone by the insipid Mr. Kelly, his colleague Courtland Milloy has literally mined his curbside trash receptacles for “newsworthy” material. With the same annoying persistence as the marauding raccoons he bemoans, he opines about a humane way to be rid of them. (Is using a pellet gun with a “silencer” considered cruel? Has every local government and private wildlife agency been consulted? If only the raccoons had a union or a lobby with which Mr. Milloy could also confer!) Ah, how all pests of the world mindlessly go about their business without a thought to the messes they make—or the nonsensical situations they relate. Thus, it's obvious that this hack has found parity with the furry varmints who have outsmarted him.

With the upcoming inauguration a little over a week away, is there no relevant issue worth focusing on? How about the fact that President-elect Donald Trump will be slightly older than Ronald Reagan when he assumed the presidency? Undoubtedly, the changing of the guard will have a major impact on a city that is already one of the most interesting and influential places in the world. In any case, there are still plenty of legitimate bandits around. For example, Mr. Milloy need only look to Annapolis where disgraced former state delegate William A. Campos (D-Prince George’s) has pleaded guilty to a bribery scheme and long-standing corruption. As nature determines that Mr. Milloy's raccoon bandits run in packs, what of the suspiciously sudden resignation of Michael L. Vaughn (also D-Prince George’s)? Therefore, he need not confuse his trash-can desperadoes with the real, two-legged kind.

These myopic scribblers—content to look to their own doorsteps for “worthy” subjects—waste valuable newspaper space. As a new year's resolution, only stories for the public good—which actually hold readerly interest—should be featured. Given the preponderance of biased media “fake news”—as specified by Mr. Trump regarding CNN—has The Post joined their ranks? Now, that sounds like an ideal topic for a newspaper exposé.

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Trump's Thanksgiving Cooks MSM's Goose

“I think the media is on thin ice with the American people, very thin ice, and they ought to just … dial it [their obvious attacks on Trump] back.” – Hugh Hewett, conservative radio host on Tuesday, November 22, 2016

Now the election is over the MSM happily assumed their relationship with President-elect Donald Trump would be business-as-usual. Last Monday like turkeys to the Thanksgiving table, the elitist news executives and their figurehead anchors filed into Trump Tower with the expectation of what they hoped to get: continued unfettered access. What they got was taken to Trump's woodshed: a barrage of pointed words for a roomful of unrepentant liars, what The New York Post called a “f***ing firing squad.” Of course, the fact that this meeting was off-the-record did not dissuade these media titans from spilling their guts; probably as soon as they got out of The Donald's earshot. (This instance is yet another example of their constant underhanded dealing with Republicans.)

During the lecture Mr. Trump singled out CNN as the worst offender, but he was generally critical of the press for their widespread hatchet job reporting. Purveyors of liberal doctrine like The Washington Post's Dana Milbank called the meeting “part tongue-lashing, part perp walk.” And why not, given their habitual yellow journalism lacking even the semblance of objectivity?

While everyone is entitled to private opinions, journalism is supposed to be neutral and fact-based. Yet, leaf through any major metropolitan paper: at a rate of 93%, these “journalists” are nothing more than progressive ideologues spouting Democratic Party talking points. Despite eight years of Barack Obama's epic economic and international failures, they have nary a critical word for him. Likewise, they endorsed and defended Hillary Clinton's lawbreaking criminality—even going so far as to fundraise for her! Who but them did everything in their power to promote her (failed) candidacy?

Indeed, Donald Trump bested Crooked Hillary—and her Democratic sycophants and surrogates in the press. In a begrudging moment of clarity The Washington Post's Margaret Sullivan acknowledged:

“He has masterfully manipulated the media for the past 18 months—bullying reporters, garnering billions in free publicity and portraying journalists as part of the corporate structure that must be brought down so that the people can triumph.”

For decades, truer words have not been printed in the Post. Yet, despite her admission Ms. Sullivan's perspective is still way off the mark. This cog of the legacy press laughably believes her profession—as it currently stands—is nonpartisan:

“In fact, U.S. citizens need an independent press more than ever.”

Ah, if only that was so! In reality, the corporate media is corrupted by Democratic collaborators—“unbiased journalist” pretenders—like herself and Dana Milbank. These liberal scribblers misperceive Donald Trump—a truly independent voice for mainstream America—as the “problem” rather than themselves. Therefore, their petulant affect and defiant tone deafness are completely out of sync with our nation's character. As that is the case, how honest or valuable can their reporting be? The answer is not at all.

The reality remains that the journalistic neutrality of their ilk is nowhere present. Ms. Sullivan and her fellow travelers populating the MSM share responsibility and blame for this—not the president-elect. Theirs is classic psychological projection: unrecognized self-reproach. Recall, the Fourth Estate was intended to be generally adversarial to both political parties and government; keeping them theoretically accountable to the people by accurately reporting on their activities. Yet, this function is impossible due to the MSM's fundamental flaw: naked political bias. Even worse, the MSM only attempts to “watchdog” Republicans, but never their Democratic counterparts.

For them, the jaded editorial has become every newspaper story under the guise of “legitimate” news. And although unlikely to reform, they richly deserve Trump's Thanksgiving comeuppance. It's the gander's after election gravy: exposing two-faced media elites as squawking, progressive birdbrains. With only 9% of America trusting them, Trump has rightfully pigeonholed their whole worthless industry. After all, going forward who needs a divisive, anti-American propaganda machine lacking the merest shred of journalistic integrity?

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