Days ago, an Ohio man drove a car into counter-protesters in Charlottesville, Virginia, killing 1 and wounding scores. Eyewitnesses called the act intentional – and video of the incident shows the car having ample time and space to accelerate before plowing recklessly into the crowd. No matter which side of the political spectrum you’re on, this is an act of cowardice and evil.

I disavow any violence or hate from either side – regardless if it’s Antifa or the Alt-Right.

Violence and hate is not an efficient tool of progress. Whether vitriolic hate is being spewed by dumpy white nationalists or naive, wet-behind-the-ears Antifa members – it doesn’t matter. As Americans, the one thing we should be able to unite and stand defiant against is real, ugly hate. However, instead of everyone standing up to say “enough“, it seems we’re all too content to point fingers and place blame on others. If your emotions and outrage include you insulting and demeaning an entire group (or race) of people, you’re not being part of a constructive solution; instead, you’re playing right into the mainstream media’s hands.

The mainstream media is the purveyor and seller of identity politics.

The moment the car rammed into counter-protesters in Charlottesville, the mainstream media had their narrative ready to go – regardless of facts or reality. As opposed to every other tragedy where the legacy media waited to provide any conclusions and united against violence or hate; Charlottesville was markedly different. With the mainstream media’s total willingness to push their narrative as soon as the news broke, they potentially used domestic terrorism to further their agenda. I’ve detailed and chronicled the abject shamelessness of the mainstream media but this is a new low, even for them…

Before the driver of the car had even been identified, mainstream outlets ran headlines to include that the incident that led to one dead had occurred at a “white nationalist” rally when, in reality, it had been a “Unite the Right” rally. Ironic that a demonstration billed to “unite the right” has seemingly tore it – and the nation – asunder…

Plainly, the hate displayed in Charlottesville is wholly unacceptable; violence is never the call to any problem. The hate blossoming and rising online in reaction to the incident is, too, unacceptable. Discourse and discussion is the only way to begin to solve the problems and issues of an ailing and sick society – like the one we find ourselves in today.

The mainstream media has done a great job of dividing and fracturing the country over the course of the last two years. We focus on things that shouldn’t matter – skin color, beliefs, affiliation, orientation – and make them the deciding factor in any issue. Our nation, our citizens have become mired in identity politics. An efficient solution to this problem is, perhaps, to refuse to partake in any form of identity politics and call others out when you see them doing it.

We’d do best to remember: we’re all Americans and – unless we unite under that common banner – I’m afraid our society may truly be terminally ill.

I am sick to death of the hate, violence, and chaos reaped by the mainstream media, but only we can decide when it changes.