By now, you’ve seen the viral video of a Donald Trump supporter sucker punching a protester being led out of an election rally at the Crown Coliseum in Fayetteville. But did you read anywhere that the Crown and Cumberland County sheriff’s deputies did a fantastic job with crowd control and preparation for one packed house on Wednesday? You did not hear this from The Washington Post or The New York Times which reported the story based on social media reports. Yahoo wrote that the campaign “turned violent again” in Fayetteville. From my seat, it did not feel that way.
Why did they report only the bad and not the good? Where have all the good guys gone? Is it the juicy wrasslin’ (as my publisher might say) that leads? Does the media fear they will lose loyal readers and that their fans will not be interested in the plain Jane, pure and honest truth? You might not read anymore if they don’t, right? Well, I say they are wrong. I think people would like to hear the truth about what really happens. I believe people want to hear the good, the bad and the ugly.
Here’s the good: Fayetteville did an amazing job at providing a safe venue and a well-planned event that many feared would be a dangerous and controversial one. For every heckler starving for attention there was a security officer there to listen. Donald looked good and appeared to be strong and tolerant.
The bad: I did not have an opportunity for Trump to sign the 2013 cover of Business North Carolinamagazine when we featured his new golf course and his face on our cover. (I had my orange Sharpie that matched the cover perfectly.) Two people were issued citations on misdemeanor charges of resisting a public officer and trespassing, according to The Fayetteville Observer. Cumberland County sheriff’s deputies later charged the 78-year-old man who struck the protester.
The ugly: I got a chance to see Trump in person. Wait a minute … I know what you are thinking. No, the “ugly” is not Trump. He looked great and was strong in stature and personality. I’ve always admired his business success. I think each of us would secretly like to have a few lessons on the “art of the deal,” but I was disappointed in the way he made references to his family, including Wilmington native and daughter-in-law Lara Yunaska, as “good looking.” That’s all good and fine, but I would be more impressed if he said he is proud of his family for their strong spirit and soul. Looks fade and disappear over time but your spirit will only become stronger if you are living the way you were created and with patience, servitude and humbleness.
Just as I believe that good always Trumps evil, I have hope for the Donald. He reminds me a bit of my father who is not so filtered at times, literal, matter-of-fact and, without fail, has led me to grow up with a strong work ethic, to be independent and stay clear of drugs. So I would say to the Donald, “Mr. Trump, a little birdie told me you collect Bibles which in my opinion is the greatest book of all time. Something tells me that if you open these Bibles, you might just find the ‘art of patience, servitude and humbleness.'” I’m not here to judge, trust me, I can brush up on these life lessons myself. I’d really like to see more of this side of him. Perhaps he’ll get some pointers from his friend Dr. Ben Carson who today gave Trump his endorsement.
As for the media, don’t get Trumped by all of it. Believe in what you see for yourself and always know there are many viewpoints out there. Just as beauty is in the eye of the beholder, reporting is in the pen of the writer. Remember, don’t be quick to judge. Sometimes things are not as they appear.
