No, Jim Acosta Being Heckled is not a Threat to our Republic

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Promoted from the diaries by streiff. Promotion does not imply endorsement.
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Early today, CNN “reporter” Jim Acosta once again used the press briefing to grand stand and attempt to get more TV time. You can see that exchange here, written about earlier on RedState.

What prompted this extreme triggering? He was heckled at a Trump rally a few nights ago. Yes, you read that right. The Republic is on the verge of collapse and the press are in physical danger now…because Jim Acosta was heckled.

This is apparently the first time in the history of the country anyone has ever been heckled so you can understand the seriousness with which our media is treating this. Mr. Acosta described it as feeling like being in “another country.”

pic.twitter.com/OzLCCHlvNZ

— Ben McDonald (@Bmac0507) August 2, 2018

Expert journalist April Ryan, known for her brave verbal combat with Sarah Sanders over pies at Thanksgiving, chimed in with this hilarious bit of hyperbole.

“Jim Acosta’s life, in my opinion, was in jeopardy … there was a safety issue.” – @AprilDRyan says President Trump has “stoked the flames” for journalists to feel like “their safety is in jeopardy, their lives are in jeopardy at these rallies.” https://t.co/nrXFcjYlMh pic.twitter.com/LTSDMOvGzh

— CNN Tonight (@CNNTonight) August 2, 2018

Keep in mind, there’s never been one attack at a Trump rally on a journalist. There hasn’t even been an attempted attack. There hasn’t even been a hint that someone might attack a journalist. Somehow, all that translates into their “lives” being “in jeopardy at these rallies.”

This has led to other insanity, such as MSNBC talking head Nicole Wallace banning Sarah Sanders (clips) from her show because she dared to assert that freedom of speech goes both ways.

IRONY: After playing clip of @PressSec supporting First Amendment, MSNBC’s @NicolleDWallace bans any future soundbites from ‘vile’ Sarah Sanders. pic.twitter.com/7QkQQwaxcs

— Kyle Drennen (@kjdrennen) August 1, 2018

She went on to say that Sanders supporting free speech from all sides makes “her sweat.” If all this melodramatic nonsense seems ridiculous to you, that’s because it is.

What makes it even more ridiculous is the hypocrisy of the media. These same media members could hardly find outrage at Antifa shouting obscenities, physically assaulting Trump supporters, or blocking roadways. They have barely a comment when conservatives on college campuses are shouted down and forced to flee for their own safety. When liberals gather in pussy hats and burn cars in protest, it’s not worth much coverage. When Shannon Bream has to abandon a live shoot at the Supreme Court due to the crowds threatening her, the media mocks her.

Yet, we are to believe the turning point of American decency and civil society is actually Jim Acosta getting heckled at a Trump rally.

The media at large then dutifully pumped this narrative with hot takes such as this.

Trump is leading a hate movement against the media. My take on the rage and abuse directed at @Acosta last night and its place in the never-ending civility debate:https://t.co/1GbZN3jj5j

— Greg Sargent (@ThePlumLineGS) August 1, 2018

Let’s be clear here. I’m not a fan of heckling on either side. I’m not a fan of hyperbolic demonizing of anyone either. It’s one of the things I’m most uncomfortable with when it comes to President Trump.

I can’t ignore the lack of self-awareness though.

These are the same media members that have labeled the President “literally Hitler,” called his supporters racists, and proclaimed that millions will die due to nominal policy changes. It’s the same media that has (at least indirectly) incited violence against Republicans with their sensationalist garbage and near constant demonizing of conservatives. They’ve spent the better part of two years stoking conspiracy theories about Russia that have whipped up incredible acts of incivility. Many media members have personally attacked Trump supporters as dumb, toothless, idiots in no uncertain terms.

These same networks will run uncritical coverage of resistance protests rife with “F*** Trump” signs everywhere, screaming lunatics, and pussy hats.

Lest I forget, the very same media is spending all day today defending the New York Times and their hiring of Sarah Jeong, who’s racist screeds over a two year period on Twitter are as vile as it gets.  But civility, am I right?

None of that ever motivated the media to be concerned about a climate of hate or incivility. Jim Acosta getting heckled at a Trump rally, though? Why, that calls for a national conversation on Trump’s “hate movement.” It’s nonsensical and hypocritical on it’s face.

Meanwhile, in the real world, there are actual threats of violence out there.

A source confirms that one of the lawmakers targeted w/ violent threats by this man was… @SteveScalise.

Yikes.

https://t.co/CW24bdVaYa

— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) August 2, 2018

Once again, when it comes to real threats and actions, it’s Republicans on the receiving end. That won’t make the evening news though because it doesn’t fit the narrative.

It’s time for Jim Acosta and the media et al to grow up. Your life is not in danger because a guy held up a “CNN sucks” sign. You look absolutely silly to most Americans when you try to present yourselves as valiant warriors risking your lives daily to stand around at the latest Trump rally. It’s just dumb.

Besides, much of the elevated temperature in our discourse can be directly traced back to the media themselves. They should try taking some responsibility for that. If they did, it would go along way in cooling tensions.

The media have gotten this odd idea that the First Amendment only applies to them. That the founders had CNN in mind when they wrote it and it was specifically encapsulated to protect the news media from the unwashed masses. It wasn’t. Yes, it protects freedom of the press. It also protects freedom of speech. That includes the rights of Americans, misguided or not, to heckle Jim Acosta. When the media gets the vapors and pretends that is a national emergency, it only reinforces the views of those who mock them. It also makes them hypocrites.

Introspection would go along way here. Perhaps the media should stop peddling so many conspiracy theories, stop trashing Republicans so much, and stop proclaiming everything the President does as the end of civilization. That might, just maybe help with all this. That would require the media actually accepting that they’ve played a negative role in our society though, so that’ll never happen.

Self-righteousness and hypocrisy never go well together. The more the media preen, the more people are motivated to oppose them at every turn. That’s part of living in a free country. They should stop whining and deal with it. Better yet, they could try taking the first step in fixing it.

The post No, Jim Acosta Being Heckled is not a Threat to our Republic appeared first on RedState.