“Manipulated Media?”

To MANIPULATE is to “control or play upon by artful, unfair, or insidious means especially to one’s own advantage.”  Twitter labeled a video tweeted by Donald Trump last night “as ‘manipulated media’ because it attributes to news media a nonexistent story on race. The video depicts a fake CNN headline that states, ‘TERRIFIED TODDLER RUNS FROM RACIST BABY,’ as a Black toddler runs ahead of a White toddler in the same direction…The video then displays the words, ‘WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED,’ and shows the original clip of two children running toward each other on a sidewalk before embracing….”  The video says, “AMERICA IS NOT THE PROBLEM, FAKE NEWS IS.”  Who is the manipulator?

Once again I am reminded of what Trump said in a speech in Kansas City to the VFW annual convention:  “Stick with us.  Don’t believe the crap you see from these people, the fake news….What you’re seeing and what you’re reading is not what’s happening.”  In other words, Trump was saying then and continues to say now that anything that doesn’t originate with Trump himself should be ignored.  Many of his supporters ignore facts because they aren’t coming from their horse’s mouth!

The CDC says, Practice good hygiene:  avoid social gatherings in groups of more than 10 people.  Wash your hands…avoid touching your face. Cover your mouth and nose with a cloth face cover when around others, etc.  Trump doesn’t wear a mask and it has become a political statement on the part of his supporters to do obeisance to whatever Trump says—not what scientific data says.  So many seem willing to be manipulated.

Trump will hold a campaign rally tomorrow in Tulsa, Oklahoma.  There will be more than 10 people there—many of whom, following Trump’s example, will not be wearing face masks.  Why bother? This worldwide pandemic, says Trump, will go away in “April” when it warms up.  Meanwhile, 118,000 Americans have lost their lives to this Trump-called “flu.”

We must beware of “manipulated media” from whatever source.  We must also be aware of how America is being manipulated.