Terry Heaton takes a thoughtful look at the charge the media has a liberal bias. I’ve pulled two paragraphs from his thoughtful essay:
“I believe the press is inherently biased towards a liberal perspective, because educated people, among other things, are generally more exposed to the value of tolerance than those who are not. Chesterton wrote that “Tolerance is the virtue of people who don’t believe anything,” and that is a core component of conservative thinking. It’s not that conservatives aren’t tolerant; it’s just that it isn’t elevated to the status of core value as it is with liberals.”
“One issue I do see is that because conservatives are predisposed to law-abiding and put faith in hierarchy, they are more open to direction from the top. In that sense, the qualities and character of the person at the top are critical.”
“Conservatives ride the wind of the esoteric when it comes to certain issues, but liberals have their feet firmly planted on the ground and in the middle of those issues. In this sense, the two never talk with each other, because they’re not even in the same space.”
Which reminds me why I decided to stop discussing politics. A vow I quickly broke but now renew. It’s like getting off crack.
My favorite quote from Heaton’s article is thie, “In order for this to end, the press is going to have to drop the false mantle of objectivity and let transparency-through-argument lead them to a place of balance.”
I know this excerpt has good intentions but a fifth grader could shoot holes in it [argumentatively] no matter what side of the isle she/he sat on.
On tolerance:
I’m tolerant. And I’m conservative.
I tell my daughter that the truth trumps your belief. I’m tolerant of your right to believe what you want, but whether you believe it or not, when you step out in front of a bus, you’re going to get hurt.
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