July 22, 2022
week we embarked on our multi-part series on the media. As we said, America needs a real press to keep the public informed about important issues, both at home and abroad, that affect our country. Without a clear view of reality, without facts guiding decisions that impact our families, communities and country, we’re at serious risk of losing our freedom.
The Founding Fathers recognized how crucial truthful information is to the proper functioning of a democracy and that’s why the First Amendment to the Constitution guarantees the right to freedom of the speech and the press. The correspondence and public speeches of men like George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin show that they weren’t always fond of the press. Indeed, they believed that the media of the day was often dominated by outright lies.
As men who had seen the dark visage of tyranny directly — the Constitution was the fruit of their victory over the British crown — they could imagine a public space in which there were only vile falsehoods. The purpose of the First Amendment is a check against tyranny by ensuring the truth sees the light of day.
In our present day, outright lies infect news reports every night. A multi-year campaign led by prestige press organizations falsely contended that the then-president of the United States was an agent of a hostile power. This same media relentlessly smeared America’s Future Board Chair General Michael Flynn, impugning his reputation with false accusations, all while questioning his patriotism. They lied then and still to this day, continue.
The media’s deception and downright lies pierce at the heart of American’s trust in the media and are dangerous to a free society. Cases in point: A nominee for the Supreme Court was portrayed in the media as a repeat sexual offender; high school boys on a field trip to our nation’s capital were slandered as abusive miscreants assaulting an elderly bystander; men and women who honorably served their country in uniform were falsely accused of participating in racist organizations and dismissed from the military; and hundreds of regular Americans, our family members, friends, and neighbors, exercising their First Amendment rights to freedom of assembly and political protest remain political prisoners and are every day labeled as “insurrectionists” and “domestic terrorists.”
These are all outright lies. It’s enough to drive any patriotic American to the point of madness. How do we counter the ongoing and endless attacks on our reason and sanity? Speak up! The truth won’t tell itself. It needs all of us to speak out on its behalf and raise our voice in one resounding and freedom-loving chorus!
We at America’s Future urge you to join us. Exercising your First Amendment right to free speech has never been more urgent. All of us need to speak out. It’s true what they say — the truth will set you free. To vanquish the outright lies that seem to hover in every dark corner, say the truth.
Thank you for reading our newsletters and responding to our readers’ surveys. Our latest series on the media has struck at the soul of Americans with hundreds of thousands of readers. Please continue to participate in our surveys. We read all the comments and learn from you. And, tune into America’s Mondays With Marywith our Executive Director, Mary O’Neill, at 9 a.m. (ET) every Monday when she shares insights from our survey-takers and provides news and updates about America’s Future activities.
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