THE FOURTH ESTATE

By: John Green – March 20, 2021

Outside the Bible our Constitution is probably the world’s greatest written document. In writing the Constitution our Founders recognized the need to ensure citizens had access to all points of view and information. The First Amendment does just that: “Congress shall make no law …abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press,…” The press is considered to be all of today’s media. It was realized that our form of government could not flourish without a free flow of information and ideas.   

So what could go wrong? Everything if the great majority parrots the same points of view regardless of the facts or truth. Today’s technology has allowed a few large hi-tech companies to control the information most Americans see, hear and read. They control the information we use in making decisions. If this information is biased or incorrect we end up making bad decisions.  

Current events show how this works. Over the past year Portland, Oregon, and Seattle, Washington have experienced almost continuous riots. They have destroyed property, looted stores, burned down buildings. The rioters attacked police with bricks, stones, frozen water bottles, firebombs, and fireworks. They used lasers to try and blind police. Millions of dollars of damage have been done and hundreds of businesses have been closed and thousands of people injured.      

The mainstream media reported these riots as peaceful protests. They did not report the harm and destruction caused by these “peaceful protestors”. They created an image of peaceful protests in the American tradition. THEY CREATED A FALSE IMAGE.       

Across the country, in our nation’s Capitol, a different event took place on January 6, 2021. Actually, there were two events. Congress was to meet and receive Electoral College votes from the States. Republicans were going to challenge some of these votes. The other event a demonstration in support of President Trump scheduled for the Mall. These were two highly charged events, yet the Speaker of the House nor anyone else called for additional security. Were some people hoping to take attention away from a contested election by having a demonstration?           

President Trump spoke and told the crowd to go to the Capital and “peacefully and patriotically protest”. A clash ensued at the Capital. Some people were able to walk in and others broke in. Most just looked around, others took property and broke windows and doors. We don’t know if Trump supporters were “infiltrated” by trouble makers.     

At the end of the day, three protesters had died of natural causes, one woman was shot by a police officer, another, a police officer, died the next day. The media reported the officer was beaten to death with a fire extinguisher. This was a complete lie reported by the media. The officer had called home and said he was fine just inhaled some teargas. The autopsy has not been released. Why?   

No guns were found on the protestors. The FBI demanded information on bank credit cards to see who might have been in Washington that day. Some demonstrators have been locked up and serious charges brought against them. No bail. The police officer who shot the woman has not been identified and he has not explained why he shot her. Many unanswered questions. Why – 2 1/2 months have passed?  

The media reported the event at the nation’s Capital an “insurrection”. The National Guard, 20,000 plus strong, were called out to protect the Capital. Miles of barbed wire have been placed around the Capital building. The government has created a sense of danger without any threat.   

Let’s go back to the very real riots in Portland and Seattle. Anyone detained by police is released with no charges. Those charged have the charges immediately dropped. If bail was required bail was immediately made. Money supplied by organizations receiving donations from people like our current VP Harris.     

The media has presented January 6th as an insurrection, a rebellion. The same media reports the rioting and mayhem in Portland and Seattle as peaceful protests. Freedom of the press is a necessary ingredient in a free country. When 95% of the press parrots from the same page we are no longer free. 

And we are no longer being treated equally under the law.