On Jan. 6, 2021, extremists assaulted our Capitol. Understandably, media coverage was extensive, and even now can make the news. While I cannot equate Jan. 6 to Pearl Harbor or 9/11 as did Vice President Kamala Harris, it was undeniably horrific. An American icon was attacked, a woman was killed, $1.5 million of damage resulted, and officers and Congress experienced real terror. Outrage was palpable.
Thankfully, the media keeps us informed.
Are you sure?
After George Floyd’s criminal death, lawful protests by unified Americans were everywhere. But sadly, after a Portland, Ore., vigil on May 29, 2020, violence erupted, continuing nightly for months. Overall, media reported variations of “mostly peaceful protests” as described by one correspondent; curiously, fires raged behind him as he spoke. In contrast, AP’s Mike Balsamo described fireworks and projectiles coming so fast that officers couldn’t react quickly enough, injuring several. Five federal buildings were attacked with damage assessed at $2.3 million; one group attempted to set the Multnomah County Justice Center on fire, with workers inside. Where was the outrage?
There’s more. In Portland, people like you and me endured damaged livelihoods. The Portland Business Alliance reported the downtown area lost more than $23 million from vandalism and lost revenue during the protests. Again, where was outrage?
No incidents are identical, but facts should be reported as straightforwardly as possible. We are Americans, and slanting news in any direction is censorship. Americans demand better. When the media chooses what they want us to know, that is censorship. Censorship is not American, no matter your political views. It’s time everyone remembers that.
Mary Rita Turka
Murrysville