Ripley’s (A 2 minute read)

 

The picture of "The Media Bias Chart" is produced by Ad Fontes and is available on the internet.

Waking Up

            One of my granddads didn’t believe that we had landed people on the moon. Nothing would convince him otherwise. We were sitting out in the yard on those green metal rocking chairs looking up at the moon. While pointing at the moon he laughed at the idea that I thought people were there. There are still people that don’t believe that we have ever landed on the moon. Crap, we have people that don’t believe the earth is round. They have scientific evidence proving they’re right.

They really don’t.

            I was reading a news article where an expert on Russia was asked how in the world the Russian people could believe the propaganda being pumped out by their government. The response was why do 40% of Americans believe that the 2020 election was stolen when it wasn’t? (I think that figure is a little high but I won’t bother quibbling about percentage points. It’s the same percentage that likes Putin over Ukraine.) And there we have it in a nutshell. People believe what they want to believe.

Even when it’s a lie.

Good People

            I read a dispatch from the Associated Press (AP) from the Ukrainian city of Mariupol. It was heartbreaking. It was graphic. It was real. Reported from journalists that are there. Journalists that photographed and videoed the mass graves. Journalists that see the bodies piled in the streets. News people amongst the bomb blasts and rifle fire. News people trying to show and tell the world what is happening.

They have earned and deserve our respect.

            Other journalists from main news outlets are also in Ukraine as well as some free lancers. So far 5 journalists have lost their lives reporting on what is taking place. That’s as of today. Fox Pravda lost members of their news team and their on-camera man was seriously injured. He’s the man that corrected on air the false Communist propaganda that Fox hosts are spewing out daily. These journalists are some of the same people being called “fake news” and “enemies of the people” by the Trump Party.

            These journalists are reporting in real time on a horrific war crime taking place where a civilian population is being purposefully targeted by a Communist madman. They are risking their very lives to do it. It’s important. It’s important to document and talk about what is taking place. It’s also important to acknowledge these good people and their courage as well.

A free press.