There has never been a more critical time for newspapers to inform readers about who we are and what we do.
In the dangerous, mythical and deliberate alternate reality that President Donald Trump, his regime and supporters are trying to impose on America, Aurora, and the public, has one hope: the press.
As a dangerous, contagious virus spreads across the nation, accurate information has never been more important, and the Trump White House is not the source for accurate, novel corona virus news.
Even before he was elected, Trump and his campaign turned to a strategy that has been tried and true by despots in the United States and all over the world by attacking and trying to undermine the messenger: this newspaper and thousands like it across the country.
In the past few months, and especially in the weeks where the novel corona virus has become a national threat, the effort by Trump to undermine real, vetted news has escalated to dangerous levels.
Using disreputable media outlets like Fox News, a growing army of social media trolls and right-wing propaganda websites, the Trump regime works to groom Americans for their own nefarious purposes. Trump and his regime have provenly and repeatedly lied about both critical and trivial matters, nearly every day.
It is a treacherous and vile scheme that poses danger to Aurora, the state, and to the nation. Trump is trying to sow doubt and hatred for the American press for the sole purpose of controlling the message and manipulating truth, reality, Congress and you. It’s a scheme so fraught with peril that the framers of the Constitution and the nation installed free press rights unlike any in human history.
During the past several days, Trump has tried to mislead the nation by falsely claiming that there is no real danger posed from the novel corona virus.
It’s a lie that has been repeatedly debunked by some in his own administration, and more importantly by independent, reputable scientists, doctors and researchers.
It’s important the all Americans and local governments use prudent caution in assessing the risk of this and all widespread contagious human medical maladies. Trusted science sources say there is no cause for overreaction.
But trusted scientists call out Trump’s lie that a “cure” or a vaccine for this virus is in the wings.
It’s not.
Also, it’s clear that some of the most critical agencies in the federal government, including The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, are being compromised by Trump’s politics of deceit and distraction.
Several reputable news sources, including the Associated Press, have pointed out that among CDC irregularities, standard sharing of disease case histories has not occurred.
It means that state and local governments must press for autonomy and coordination outside the federal government in handling this health crisis.
It is beyond alarming that local governments must essentially arm themselves against the very federal government created to protect us all. But the stakes in this crisis are too high, and Trump’s corrupt propaganda strategy is too dangerous to overlook.
Because the mainstream American press reveals the facts about Trump, his supporters, his collaborators in Congress and his regime, he has labeled us “enemies of the people.”
Deception is the enemy here. It has undermined Trump’s credibility to the point that he and his administration cannot be relied upon for factual information without careful and robust vetting.
His GOP congressional allies, who have repeatedly stood silent or even give cover for Trump’s lying, must draw the line when it comes to the COVID-19 virus. Colorado Sen. Cory Gardner and other Colorado members of congress must call out Trump’s deceptions about the virus. Anything less is a dereliction of their oaths and dutiues.
Readers here and across the nation need to pay attention to credible mainstream news sources for reliable information about the corona virus, either as the sole source of information or at the very least, as a reality check against what the Trump administration provides.