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Sunday, December 8, 2024 - 04:20 AM

INDEPENDENT CONSERVATIVE VOICE OF UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA

First Published in 1994

INDEPENDENT CONSERVATIVE VOICE OF
UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA

Is America good? That's the real question we have been debating these past few weeks. The answer, of course, is obvious to all but a few true radicals. Yes, America is good. That doesn't mean America is perfect, and it doesn't mean we should not strive to make America better, but the criticisms we make should have some grounding in facts, in history and in comparison with the rest of the world.

The most noteworthy thing about the recent protests is how much they have actually accomplished. The protestors -- the reasonable ones, at least -- have won. Many don't seem to realize it, but we are discussing race and racism like never before. Even for those of us who do not think America is institutionally racist, the current debate has caused a new level of analysis and reflection. I've had more people tell me they have changed their views on issues like Confederate names than ever before. The reality is that a country founded on the principle that "all men are created equal" should be held to a higher standard. It's a standard we have not always met.

The historical context to all this is, of course, important. We can't judge America's founders by 2020 standards. The world they inhabited was different, but even back then, some pointed out the hypocrisy of a country with a legal regime governing slavery claiming to believe in the rights of all men. It's also important to temper that criticism with the knowledge that slavery is not a fundamentally American institution. It has existed throughout history, all over the world. It still exists today in some parts of the world. Left-wing teachers don't include these sorts of facts in their lessons because they don't help their preferred narrative, so many kids aren't even aware of them.

American injustices did not end with the Civil War and abolition. Think about how a Black man who fought for our country in World War II only to return and not be allowed in a restaurant or coffee shop would feel. The Jim Crow era didn't end that long ago. And even today, a Black person can fight for our country in the Middle East and return to have their local public school, where they have to send their kids, named after a Confederate general. There is something wrong with that. The current debate has caused many people to realize this.

Despite this necessary reassessment, there is a reason that people from countries all over the world still scramble and sweat for a shot at immigrating to America. In the scope of world history, even with its flaws, America has been a remarkable place. This is mostly due to our freedoms. The key to all this is our First Amendment. To many protestors today, that fundamental right to free speech is being downgraded. "Cancel culture" demands an all-out assault on anyone not 100% with the progressive agenda. If you are in that group, they are coming for you.

Protesting in the wake of the George Floyd tragedy is not only allowed but also a fundamental American right. But protestors of good will are being joined by a truly radical element whose goals go well beyond police reform. Calls to defund the police and shut down speech are just the start of the radical agenda. The facts, records and radical quotes from the hard-left leadership behind some of these groups are available for anyone to see. The media isn't reporting on it though. Deposing President Donald Trump has become a matter of good versus evil for a broad swath of our corporate media. According to this mindset, anyone perceived to be with Trump must be destroyed completely. Pointing out the truly radical element involved in some of our protests may help Trump, so these facts must be buried.

The biggest tragedy of the Trump era is we have greatly expanded the divisions in our country. This started well before Trump, but it has accelerated. These days, people mostly talk to those who share their views. The internet has made everything more efficient, including political communication. If someone wants to, they can spend their whole day reading and debating with people online who only share their exact views. Many do. The result is drastically increasing polarization and less tolerance of dissent.

We are more likely to view those we disagree with through a caricature lens. If you read what the other side is really saying, and not just the short quotes selectively pulled to make them look their worst, you would see we are often not as far apart as you may believe. But if you only view the other side through your caricature lens, reading short snippets with no context and believing the worst about each one, you end up with a country where people don't really understand their opponents. It's easier to view people as evil when you don't know them and don't listen to them. This is happening on the left and the right. What we need more than anything is reasonable people who love the country to come together and talk. The corporate media used to be the home for this sort of debate. Those days are over. The crazies are at the helm today. Someone has to have the guts to say stop.

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Neil Patel co-founded The Daily Caller, one of America's fastest-growing online news outlets, which regularly breaks news and distributes it to over 15 million monthly readers. Patel also co-founded The Daily Caller News Foundation, a nonprofit news company that trains journalists, produces fact-checks and conducts longer-term investigative reporting. The Daily Caller News Foundation licenses its content free of charge to over 300 news outlets, reaching potentially hundreds of millions of people per month. To find out more about Neil Patel and read features by other Creators writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators website at www.creators.com

COPYRIGHT 2020 CREATORS.COM

 

Tucker Carlson and Neil Patel

Tucker Carlson currently hosts Fox News’ “Tucker Carlson Tonight” (weekdays 8 p.m. ET). He joined the network in 2009 as a contributor.

“Tucker Carlson Tonight” features powerful analysis and spirited debates, with guests from across the political and cultural spectrum. Carlson brings his signature style to tackle issues largely uncovered by the media in every corner of the United States, challenging political correctness with a "Campus Craziness" segment and tackling media bias and outrage during "Twitter Storm."

Carlson co-hosted “Fox & Friends Weekend” starting in 2012, until taking on his current role at “Tucker Carlson Tonight.”

While at Fox News, Carlson has provided analysis for “America's Election Headquarters” on primary and caucus nights, including in the 2016 and 2012 presidential elections, as well as the 2014 midterm election. He also produced a Fox News special, "Fighting for Our Children's Minds," in 2010.

Prior to working at Fox News, Carlson hosted “Tucker Carlson: Unfiltered” on PBS from 2004 to 2005 and “Tucker” on MSNBC from 2005 to 2008. He joined CNN in 2000 as its youngest anchor ever, co-hosting “The Spin Room” and later CNN's “Crossfire,” until its 2005 cancellation. In 2003, he wrote an autobiography about his cable news experience titled "Politicians, Partisans and Parasites: My Adventures in Cable News."

Carlson graduated with a B.A. in history from Trinity College in Connecticut.

Neil Patel

In addition to his role as publisher of The Daily Caller, Neil Patel is co-founder and managing director of Bluebird Asset Management, a hedge fund investing in mortgage-backed securities.

Before starting his two companies, Neil served in the White House from 2005 to 2009 as the chief policy adviser to Vice President Dick Cheney. From 2001 to 2004, Neil was staff secretary to Vice President Cheney. Prior to joining the Bush administration, Neil was assistant general counsel at UUNET Technologies. Earlier in his career, Neil practiced law with Dechert Price & Rhoads. He also served as Counsel to the U.S. House of Representatives Select Committee on U.S. National Security and Military/Commercial Concerns with the People’s Republic of China. 

Neil received his B.A. from Trinity College in Connecticut and his J.D. from the Georgetown University Law Center, where he served as associate editor of the Journal of Law and Policy in International Business.

Neil lives in Washington, D.C., and Jackson Hole, Wyoming, with his wife, Amy, their two daughters, Caroline and Bela, and their son, Charlie.

COPYRIGHT 2019 CREATORS.COM