Tri-County News

Disturbing realities


Jean Matua “From the Heart”

One of the most horrifying news stories this month – for me and other journalists personally – has been the violent murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Turkey.

Both the circumstances of the premeditated, gruesome murder (while his fiancée waited for him outside the consulate) and the aftermath have been so disturbing. Adding insult to dismemberment are the political games being played by the three countries involved: Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and the United States. While the Saudis and Turks play their political and legal control games, some in U.S. political higher echelons took this as an opportunity to disrespect the victim by calling him, among other things, a Jihadist. (Does anyone else see the similarity to some in our society blaming women for being victims of sexual assault? Here, they’re actually blaming a man, who was picking up the paperwork so he can marry, for being responsible for essentially being dismembered to death.)

Meanwhile, this week the person in the highest office in our country praises a Congressman for having body-slammed a reporter who was simply doing his job. And, I heard this morning, this same official has begun his attacks on the media, all media, within the first three minutes of his political campaign rallies this week, with 10 more to go before the election. Three minutes in.

I know many of my compatriots in the field feel this very deeply. But I also know that they are re-dedicated daily to doing their noble – and much needed – work. The United States was established with a free press serving as a fourth branch of government, an essential piece of our checks-and-balances Democracy. When that is threatened, harmed, banned, or silenced, our Democracy suffers greatly.

The immediate reality here in all of our lives, of course, is the imminent mid-term election, now two weeks out from this writing.

The political ads on TV have intensified, and so has the venom contained within them. Last week I wrote about the Political Action Committees (PACs) behind many of the ads, particularly the insanely negative ones. If all of these ads are to be believed, it’s amazing that a single politician at any level anywhere hasn’t been in prison all their lives, or could ever have a friend, or pet.

Although I haven’t seen that much television this week, my list of PACs quickly expanded. Last week I wrote about the website one can use to see who’s behind each PAC: www.opensecrets.org.  The obvious ones are run by the two major political parties;
others are not obvious, intentionally so. Few are focused on a particular issue; most, it seems, are intent on making the “opposing” candidate look as dastardly and evil as possible. Psychology shows that these negative ads work, although perhaps not the way we think they do. Psychology also tells us that such negative ads are usually reserved for a last-ditch, because-we’re-behind effort to stay afloat. Whatever the reasons, here’s my list so far.

Conservative: NRCC (National Republican Congressional Campaign), Congressional Leadership Fund, Senate Leadership Fund, America First Action, Future 45, America First Action, Congressional Leadership Fund, Citizens for a Strong America, Liberty Action PAC, Citizens United

Liberal: DCCC (Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee), Senate Majority PAC, Independence USA PAC, House Majority PAC, Change Now PAC,

Unknown: Future 45, Minnesota Gun Owners

Always consider the source. Be informed, painful as that may feel now. VOTE NOV. 6! Every single vote counts. Don’t let a minority decide for you!

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