Wake of Echoes

"Every single year, more than 30,000 Americans have their lives cut short by guns—30,000." -- President Obama President Obama said that during a speech he gave on January 5, 2016 , when he announced a new executive order to tighten gun control. I have no doubt he believed what he said -- that he believed in what he was doing. First, because Obama's personality has always been unequivocal. During his eight years in office, I never saw him waffle on what he believed. One of Obama's defining characteristics was his fondness for standing ankle-deep in the hardened cement of his progressive ideas while demanding that others "compromise" by coming around to his way of thinking. Second, because Obama shed tears while he made  his speech , and as much as I disagreed with him on ... well, almost everything, I  DO  believe he was sincerely moved by the issue of gun violence in America -- or at least his own righteous indignation in it. I really don't fault him...

When I was a sophomore at Arizona State University , my English teacher assigned a research paper that was a significant part of our grade. I only remember two of the requirements. First, it had to be relevant to my major (journalism). Second, I had to cite reputable, scholarly sources to back up my thesis. When I met with my teacher and told her my idea: American mainstream media demonstrates a liberal bias when reporting the news , she strongly encouraged me to choose another topic. "You won't be able to prove it," she told me. As it turned out, she was wrong. I not only earned an A on my paper, I convinced her I was right. Now, can I convince you? I'm not Biased ... YOU Are!  Let's start with those who see things from the other side of the spectrum...with what is probably the most popular stance on the issue today: cafepress.com Turn off FOX News! You've seen this bumper sticker, right? Or one like it. Most of them suggest people who wa...