AMERICA'S PAIN COMES FROM WITHIN
Published in the October 15, 2001
issue of U.S. NEWS & World Report.

At a time when America feels the pain of horrendous attacks against our people, our homeland and the continued threat of even more deadly assaults, it is good to see the rancor of partisan politics and selfish interests all but disappear from the landscape, replaced by goodwill and patriotism.

Unfortunately, however, there are deep-seeded sources of pain fomenting from within our society which have surfaced in various and disturbing ways for a very long time, often blurring the lines between patriotism and treason.

First, are major elements of the news media, primarily television news, which have become obsessive purveyors of unparalleled bleed-leading violence and tragedy, with a twist: Their social and political agenda for America. Indeed, much of the media have a deplorable record of using local, national and international news to stick America's nose where it doesn't belong and bullying U.S. authorities into doing things they shouldn't. This war with terrorism, however, stunned media empires to such an extent that they don't what to do except report something, anything, about it all the time.

Second, and even more troubling, are the nation's elite universities and colleges. Academia at its worst. It seems as though professors have been filling our students' impressionable minds with radical cultural psycho-babble that there are no moral norms or truths worth defending, contempt for America and now compassion for terrorists. Then, is it any wonder why the lofty education cult is promoting misguided peace demonstrations?

It's simply frightening to know we have unwitting enemies from within, and that if we are not indiscriminately slaughtered by suicide squads, scare media will show-and-tell us to death by escalating terrorism. It's even more painful to know that duped college kids are being conned into sympathizing with the deadly mantra taught to young, impressionable terrorists-in-training throughout South Asia and the Middle East.

If history has taught us anything, it is the fact that all powerful empires have fallen because they tried to mold the world in their own image. That is as true for Osama Bin laden's warped aspirations, as it is for America.

Daniel B. Jeffs, founder
The Direct Democracy Center