There’s an odd thing going on in the mainstream media these days, and not just in the mainstream legacy “news” media. That odd thing? To politicize everything.
Now, like most people, I really don’t want politics coming up in my entertainment. If I watch a movie (unless I’m watching it specifically because it’s political), I don’t want the actor’s politics showing up. I want to be entertained.
I feel the same way when reading a novel or playing a video game. And sports, too.
ESPN, though, has taken it upon themselves to comment on politics even though people are watching the network for sports and sports–specific commentary, and, maybe because they’re owned by Disney, the commentary has been coming from the left side of the political spectrum.
That’s why it’s so surprising when ESPN host Stephen A. Smith, made a comment about gun violence that you won’t hear talked about in the mainstream legacy media. In fact, that media won’t even touch it, but Smith sure did. Chris Enloe writes,
ESPN host Stephen A. Smith called out the media on Wednesday for ignoring black-on-black violence.
Speaking on his podcast, Smith addressed the gun violence that broke out in Chicago over the Memorial Day weekend, resulting in more than 50 Chicagoans being shot and about a dozen murdered. Such violence, tragically, is normal for Chicago over holidays.
Again, from Enloe:
Earlier in the podcast, Smith expressed agreement with Megyn Kelly, who shamed gun control advocates last month for using mass shootings to push gun control while silencing any other remedy to gun violence.
“The fact of the matter is: The bad guys always end up having [guns], which is why I’m not a hard and fast dude against Second Amendment rights,” Smith said.
Now, I don’t know Smith’s stances on much of any other subject, but it’s great to hear him say that any gun violence problem in America is not a “white” problem and that gun control isn’t the solution to gun violence.
Violence is a violence problem. It’s not unique to a set of DNA, and it’s disingenuous and racist of the mainstream legacy media to suggest that. And Smith is absolutely right that gun control isn’t the solution because criminals will still get their hands on guns.
Hopefully, more people will hear Smith’s comments and begin to grasp that same basic logic, too.
