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Dear Editor: Rebuttal 2 to Geri Dorvall's Letter

Dear Editor,

A rebuttal to last week’s remarks by Geri Dorvall in the February 17, 2021 issue of the Whitehall Ledger.

Media misinformation truly is a real problem of our times. As an example, let’s look at the Capitol riots of January 6th. It was reported by the New York Times that Capitol Hill Police Officer Sicknick was killed in the Rotunda of the House of Representatives by a Trump supporter who beat him with a fire extinguisher. This was picked up by news outlets at a fever rate and loudly claimed over and over. On January 8th New York Times quietly published a piece that corrected the story. It seems that Officer Sicknick had suffered a stroke and died the following evening. I don’t hear or see the media correcting the first report. As a matter of fact, to this day, I sill hear the lie carried over the air waves and on internet sites. No matter how Officer Sicknick died, he is a hero in my eyes. All first responders have my respect.

Geri mentions the pipe bombs that the media touted. What the media did not tell you was the pipe bombs were found outside offices of the DNC and RNC. Plus, it seems that despite all the cameras in Washington, D.C., the FBI has no idea who put them there.

Now I see where up to 36 Capitol Hill Police Officers are under investigation, officers and officials who violated department policies. One of the suspended officers appeared to have taken a selfies with members of the rioters. Another officer was suspended after he was seen directing people inside the building.

I am in no way making an excuse for these people. They rioted. From what I have read, most were just there. Some allowed in by the police themselves. There were those who came to do damage or even kill, obviously. One guy, who arrived late was caught with thousands of rounds for his rifle along with a crossbow, machetes, and Molotov cocktails. Some arrested had a history of mental illness.

I have heard many blame this on the belief that the election was stolen. The same thing we heard for four years after Trump won. Yeah, that’s part of it. I blame this on four years of politicians denying and making excuses for the riots in America by other bad actors. I really don’t think this would have happened if we had not watched the same thing for the last four years in cities in protest of the Trump Administration. In just Minneapolis, Antifa and BLM burned 150 buildings before the National Guard put a stop to things. They destroyed businesses of the very people they claimed to support. Billons of dollars of destruction in the last 4 years. 19 people dead. A section of Seattle taken over and held separate from the city. Portland police station overrun and destroyed. Five Dallas police officers ambushed and murdered. New York police officers ambushed in their cars. Officers and firefighters shot at when they answer calls. For over 4 years Antifa and BLM has caused billions in damages. They’ve terrorized citizens, burned out business owners, taken over state and Federal buildings, caused the death of people. But it’s the Capitol rioters who are “Domestic Terrorists”.

On the claim that Antifa and BLM are being arrested and held accountable: if they do get arrested, they are released to do it again. And yes, there is a charity supported by Democrat representatives at the Capitol to bailout those arrested rioting. The media doesn’t seem to report on it, but the riots in Oregon and Washington state continue.

Media misinformation is a problem worldwide. Not just in the United States and it is not just one political party. Misinformation has been used to create a narrative of hate on all sides of the political spectrum and it is destroying our nation.

With today’s internet tools, it is pretty simple to check into a news story and see what the truth is. There actually are a few sites that report accurately. As we saw in the latest impeachment fiasco, videos can be cropped, reedited to carry any narrative. But finding the original on YouTube is fairly easy.

I remember a day when media would report the news that happened. Now the media has become nothing more than an extension of a political party. It’s sad, but even nighttime comic hosts push a political party narrative, no matter the truth.

- Jim Buterbaugh

Whitehall, MT

 

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