The Power of Words

During the non-stop coverage of the protests/riots at the capitol, I heard Norah O’Donnell talk quite piously about the “power of words.”  She was referencing the ways in which Trump’s comments have been incendiary and caused the uprising.  I find this ironic given the ways in which the media in general, and Norah herself, have contributed to the divisiveness of the past year.

Is Trump guilty of using words…lots of words in person and by tweets… to throw gas on fires?  Yes, he certainly is.  He has been very unwise in both quantity and quality of words.  He has said much that is irrational, and it has resonated with lunatic fringe who are eager to translate words into actions.

However…

The media shares in the guilt.  Trump has been so hated from the beginning that absolutely everything he has done has been dissected and criticized in a way I have not previously seen.  Please don’t try to tell me the same thing happened to Obama or Bush or that it will happen to Biden.  Many of Trump appointees were raked over the coals unmercifully without a chance to prove they could do the job.  In contrast, some of Biden’s appointments, although there are valid concerns, have barely been mentioned in the media.  Biden is on camera bragging about a quid pro quo, but Trump was impeached for suspicion of the same.

The worst is always assumed of Trump.  If the media doesn’t know what he is doing, they assume he is off golfing…i.e. loafing.  Recently when that was the accusation, he was in fact off visiting the troops in Afghanistan.  A president cannot publicize everything he does.

The media long ago stopped reporting the news and began editorializing.  Trump did not just “ say” something.  He “lied” about something.  Do they think we are incapable of making any judgments for ourselves?

This has become a vicious cycle of unwise comments from Trump, over reaction from the media, Trump lashing out, the media responding, Trump getting angrier and the media getting more hostile.  The situation has escalated because both sides have been unwise.  Trump has frequently behaved like a toddler throwing a tantrum.  The best approach to that situation is to ignore the toddler and go about one’s business.  Do not reward bad behavior with attention.  Award good behavior.  Is there nothing positive Trump has done that the media could have emphasized?  Actually, there is quite a bit.

There is currently an ad for CBS now running in which Norah’s voice is heard saying that the most important question is “why?”  She and the rest of the media ought to be doing some soul-searching regarding “why” we are in the current morass of hatred and confusion. 

Yes, Norah…words have power…and that includes your words.