E Scott Cracraft: The First Amendment is not absolute, media outlets have responsibility to expose lies

To The Daily Sun,

Sadly, we have seen two horrific mass shootings: one in Texas and the other in Buffalo, New York. An entire letter could be devoted to each tragic shooting but this one will concentrate on the Buffalo shooting because it is indicative of the racist extremism which is becoming mainstreamed. On the other hand, racism may have played a role in the poor response in Texas. If it had been a white, upper-middle class school, would law enforcement have responded differently?

The Buffalo tragedy was clearly a hate crime, an act of terrorism against people of color. The young man admitted this. He said he wanted to kill Blacks. Despite lies, by the Right, almost all political violence nowadays comes from the Right not the Left.

The shooter planned further violence against people of color but surrendered before he could do it. The fact that the police allowed him to surrender is another example of “white privilege.” A young Black man would have likely been shot.

But this teen is not the only one complicit in this horror. Those who have been promoting racist, anti-Semitic lies such as “race replacement theory” inspired and incited this shooter. We have always had folks but once they were marginalized. Now, thanks to Trumpism and media outlets like Fox News, such ideologies are mainstreamed.

The 1st Amendment is not absolute. Government cannot censor ideas, but responsible media outlets should expose these lies for what they are: racist propaganda. Neither is freedom of expression without consequences. If you speak or publish lies about people, you can be sued for slander or libel. Those inspiring such violence should be held accountable.

E. Scott Cracraft

Gilford