Leon Francis: Honesty in Reporting

So it has happened yet again. A self-described social justice warrior and democratic party operative has used a complicit media to stir up “hate” and division where there was neither.

I was glad to attend an event earlier this week billed as ‘The American View of Law and Government’, by Jake McMillan MacAulay and I was not disappointed!

The speaker began with a story of his wayward and misguided past and how his journey to becoming a good husband and father of three started by letting Christ into his heart. He is a Christian, you see, and explaining his road to redemption segued applicably into how the Christian beliefs of our founders directed the founding of this country and and served as the basis for our form of law.

He spoke of our Natural Rights – divinely endowed by “Nature and Nature’s God”, to all men and women at their creation. Rights that are unalienable, codified within and guaranteed by our founding documents.

He spoke of the proper role of government – what it was intended to be at its founding, and what we’ve allowed it to become.

He spoke of self government being the ultimate form of government, and the importance of introspection, and governing our own actions, so that government isn’t compelled to.

He spoke of the importance of bringing God back into your ‘self’, your family, and your community.

He also spoke to the fact that if politicians told you exactly what they plan to do, to take your money with the force of government, and use that force to restrict your rights, not only would they NEVER get elected, they’d be tarred and feathered and run out of town.

The venue was populated by about 50 people, a third of which were well-mannered, civically-minded kids! The only mar on the evening were the two dis-courteous folks sitting behind me snickering like two schoolgirls and making rude remarks during the presentation!

During the Q&A session afterwards, one of the pair stood up and in an ugly display of accusatory arrogance, unfairly laid responsibility for the alleged suicide of his friend at the feet of those in attendance.

True to the tenants of his faith, Jake offered his sincerest condolences and empathy with this individual and conveyed to him Christs’ unconditional love for his friend, and for him during such a trying time. Mr. MacAulay’s efforts were dismissed with a smirk and an arrogant eye-roll by the judgmental instigator.

I left the event glad to have attended.

So imagine my surprise when two local “newspapers” published a nasty, slanderous hit piece featuring this malevolent and almost comedic description of the event!

At one time in this country the concept of journalistic integrity was highly prized. Wouldn’t it be great if Fargo’s newspaper of note practiced that model instead of prominently and obediently promoting a hit-piece dripping with resentment for the same values most of your grandparents had?

Every point this would-be instigator made in his screed was either outright slander or so twisted out of context, that the “Straw-man” in “The Wiz” should demand royalties. Jake MacAulay’s message was that “Christianity embodies equality and fairness before the Law. It is unbending in its commitment to defend, protect, and respect the individual (natural) rights of all human beings because they were created in the image of their Creator.”

We derive our rights from God, not government.

To label that message as hate shows a detachment from and denial of reality that borders on madness.