The “hands up don’t shoot” narrative in the Ferguson crisis has been discredited as a lie, yet attention-seekers and protestors across the country refuse to accept the truth. These agitators chose to continue to perpetuate the myth rather than work toward a dialogue and solution. How they think what they are doing contributes to healing or reform is a mystery. As Joe Scarborough wrote in a recent op-ed, the fact that the symbol of their protest is blatantly dishonest “is irrelevant in a social media and cable news culture that promotes partisanship and controversy to improve their bottom line.” And it’s not just the media that is guilty of this; liberals who won’t speak out are being equally deceitful.

Obviously, Rolling Stone swooned over University of Virginia student Jackie’s account of a vicious crime committed by a traditionally white fraternity on an elite southern campus. They no doubt thought this would be the biggest story since the Duke lacrosse rape story, and didn’t see any need to do any simple fact-checking to verify Jackie’s account of what happened. Well, it’s possible Rolling Stone had selective amnesia about how the Duke lacrosse scandal ended. After all, history does repeat itself. Maybe the prospect of litigation against Rolling Stone will serve as a reminder to pseudo-journalists who live to promote the liberal cause (no matter what actual truth is) that blindly writing stories in furtherance of the left-wing agenda has consequences.

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And speaking of litigation, Lena Dunham and her publisher are now trying to walk back her outrageous accusations. Dunham, who is no stranger to controversy, is trying to escape blame without admitting anything, thereby making herself potentially vulnerable in a courtroom. It could cost millions. As best I can tell, Lena Dunham is the Miley Cyrus of condescending, phony intellectuals. They both use the same mix of pretentiousness, vulgarity and pop culture to sell themselves as some sort of talent.

Anyway, it all contributes to what Peggy Noonan called “America’s crisis of character” back in 2012. In analyzing some Gallup polling on the public mood, Peggy Noonan wrote, “I’ve long thought that public dissatisfaction is about more than the economy, that it’s also about our culture… Now…I think more and more people are worried about the American character – who we are and what kind of adults we are raising.” As usual, she hits it right on the head.

Throughout the 2014 elections, I lamented that the Democratic Party is never accused of having a branding problem; is never exposed or criticized as a party for running deceitful campaigns or telling outright lies. For whatever reason, the media refuses to see a common thread in how modern-day Democrats behave in the political arena, just like they refuse to see any connection between the aforementioned episodes and the decay that exists within the left-wing of the Party’s base. The media is quick to declare that Republicans and conservatives have systemic problems, but they ignore how morally bankrupt the Democrats and their core constituency have become.

Call me a cynic, but it appears there is a lot to be cynical about.