Obeying the President

Resurrected from 1018

Someone commented about my apparent attitude toward our president as reflected in less is more. I responded that I preferred not to argue since people’s opinions are generally not open to reason because they are dictated by and dependent upon the media to which they pay attention. This is a theme I have obsessed about since, while researching for my novel The Good Know Nothing, I learned that “government by media” was, aside from making money, William Randolph Hearst’s primary motive. Since then, that motive has become all too commonplace.

So I decided to post what follows again:

The president has instructed the IRS not to mess with churches who get political. He wants us churches to speak our minds, right?

Here goes.

The other day I was talking to my cousin Patti and feeling impassioned by some action of Trump’s. I forget which one. And Patti, out of left field, calls Hillary Clinton a liar.

Naturally, I respond, “And Trump isn’t a liar?” And she says, “Not as big a liar as Hillary.” So I demand, “Who says?” And she says, “Fox television.”

Suddenly I got the answer to a problem that has plagued me for months now, which is: “Why would 80% of white male “evangelicals” vote for a shallow, unscrupulous, (I could go on but why bother) fellow.”

The answer came because when Patti mentioned Fox, I remembered that I get most of my news from sources such as the New York Times, the L.A. Times, and the Washington Post, all of which are at least inclined toward the liberal, the progressive, and the Democratic party.

I have tried paying attention to Fox news, Rush, Dr. Laura, and James Dobson, but too soon gotten tired of shouting at the tv or radio.

Still, although I consider myself a good critical thinker (having taught that subject for years), I understand the “facts” that inform my opinions come from sources favoring certain agendas. So I asked myself what was wrong with this picture, and here’s my conclusion:

I don’t know of any source for information in any way political that isn’t biased. Perhaps the absence of a bias is humanly impossible. But, just suppose there was a media source whose only bias was a sincere devotion to framing news and opinion in the context of the teachings of Jesus. A media presence with no attachment to the traditions of any particular church or denomination, with no intention to directly evangelize, or to cater to a congregation, or to demonize anyone, or to make money for any purpose. A source dedicated to nothing but the truth for it’s own sake.

If that wouldn’t set us free, I don’t know what would.

So there, Mr. President, I have obeyed.