Beech Tree News Network

It’s hard to know where to start.  The rabid news cycle continues with near-hysterical daily headlines ranging from the just plain silly to the absolute absurd to outright, fear-mongering and lies.  And, this was just about a week’s worth of news - as it is defined these days.  

Let’s recap.  Americans may now face charges if they brandish firearms to defend themselves and their property from a possible mob.  You can be charged with a “hate crime” if you take issue with giant yellow letters on the road in your community proclaiming support for Black Lives Matter.  Obviously, you are a racist if admiring Mount Rushmore makes you feel patriotic - don’t you know it promotes white supremacy?  Finally, if you live in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, now known as “Andy’s Nanny State,”  you are a law-breaker and face fines if you dare to enter a public establishment without a face covering.  A dozen other equally-deserving items could easily make my list of silliness, including New York Mayor Bill DeBlasio’s proclamation that large gatherings in his city are banned but not BLM protests.  Go figure.  Welcome to America 2020.

There really isn’t much need to go back and rehash the specifics of these news events.  The informed citizen knows what is happening in the world; the uniformed citizen doesn’t care.  What should be the bigger concern for most folks is the rampant intolerance that some individuals display toward others with whom they may disagree politically.  It’s a common occurrence on social media.  Someone will make a post expressing an opinion and then the pile on begins with vicious, sometimes personal attacks on the individual.  You see it on both sides but it is much more prominent from the progressive left in American politics.  Exhibit A - go to a college campus and express conservative views and see what happens.  Mask-shaming is another example.  Finding racism around every corner of American society and leveling charges of white supremacy at virtually any hint of patriotism or national pride are becoming commonplace.   

This type of intolerance is on full display in most media circles.  In journalism, diversity for color is embraced; diversity of political opinions is often rejected or attacked - just ask Sen. Tom Cotton about his recent interactions with the New York Times.  Hyper-partisan opinion pieces are now masked as news; censorship is back in style; and statements that are easily proven false and reported as facts in news outlets across the country.  Look at Sen. Tammy Duckworth’s recent “dead traitors” comments about President Trump’s Mount Rushmore speech and subsequent attempts to shut down Tucker Carlson’s show on Fox News.  

What is the biggest danger of living in this “woke” world?  For starters, the daily dose of social hysteria from the political left masks (yeah, I know I have already used this word as a verb in this column but it seems appropriate now in Andy’s Kentucky) real issues related to race and injustice that should be addressed (some reforms in police, lawlessness, racism, etc.).  Furthermore, this radical environment of intolerance silences free speech.  It stifles debate.  It devalues the opinions of others and in doing so devalues people.  It promotes division, class warfare, and exacerbates racial divisions among Americans.  Yes, we are all still American.  Even you, Colin Kaepernick, despite your outlandish statements regarding Mount Rushmore.  Ultimately, this type of intolerance scares people into silence.  Rather than face the wrath of the progressive swarm, good decent folks simply do not engage. I have seen this anecdotally from readers who have commented to me privately on similar columns that I have written in the past. Trust me, I get that and I won’t criticize anyone for that decision.  However, traveling the path of least resistance, socially and politically speaking, can have profound negative consequences on the world in which you live.  So, that’s something else to consider.  Welcome to America 2020.