Americans are being overwhelmed with falsehood. Everywhere you turn, you have to question the source in order to determine whether there is truth in what is being reported. In the political business there is an old saying, “A little bit of truth makes a better lie.” It’s certainly true in today’s society. Whenever you read or hear phrases like “informed sources said,” or “sources with knowledge of the situation,” or “a source who wished to remain anonymous,” your truth meters should shoot up at warp speed. As a cub investigative reporter, my editors would say, “If they won’t put their name to it, it’s suspect.” But nowadays, these phantom sources are used to create stories and sell clicks on social media.
Rolling Stone magazine, hardly the harbinger of journalism, recently cited three unidentified “people familiar with the situation” that Donald Trump wanted to bring back the death penalty using banned methods of execution. Asawin Suebsaeng and Patrick Reis wrote: “He has even, one of the sources recounts, mused about televising footage of executions, including showing condemned prisoners in the final moments of their lives. Specifically, Trump has talked about bringing back death by firing squad, by hanging, and, according to two of the sources, possibly even by guillotine. He has also, sources say, discussed group executions.”
The story continued: “In at least one instance late last year, according to the third source, who has direct knowledge of the matter, Trump privately mused about the possibility of creating a flashy, government-backed video-ad campaign that would accompany a federal revival of these execution methods.” Brietbart News, which is generally a very good news source, continued the “no identified source” in covering the Rolling Stone story. Breitbart reported: “In a statement to Breitbart News, which was also provided to the magazine, a spokesperson for Trump’s campaign categorized the idea of a video campaign as “ridiculous and fake news.” Who is the spokesperson?
Breitbart continued: “More ridiculous and fake news from idiots who have no idea what they’re talking about,” the spokesperson stated. “Either these people are fabricating lies out of thin air, or Rolling Stone is allowing themselves to be duped by these morons.” To set the record straight, Trump has called for the death penalty for drug dealers. But inasmuch as to how they would be executed, only the unnamed sources seem to know. In this case, it would appear that it’s a story designed to further discredit Trump because no one wants to put their name to these claims. Ephesians 5:6 says, “Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things comes the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.” Think twice before believing unnamed sources for you may be led into committing, say it with me…Stupidocrisy.
