Dear Media, It's not me, it's you...

Dear Mainstream Media,

It's over between us. And just to be clear, it's not me... it's you.

We're tired of the lies, the manipulation, the mental and verbal abuse you continue to put us through day after day. We've had it with the hate mongering, the selfish ambition, and the vicious attacks. We're done with you. We're tired of being played.

You thrive on drama and you say and do whatever it takes to get a reaction. You've manipulated those who trust you into not trusting each other, ruined relationships, caused hate and discourse, and encouraged fighting among friends. You tell whatever lies you think will earn you the best ratings, and ignore the truth. You want the public to believe you're a neutral source of information, but your actions make your claim laughable. You promote the ideas that fit your agenda, and advocate only those who share your personal views. Those who don't, you mock, silence or demonize. The truth is left on your newsroom floors, safe from the public eye. You piece together your carefully chosen soundbites, expertly edit your photos and spin them together in a web of deceipt so the people will believe what you tell them to believe.

We're sick of it. We can't trust you and so... we're over.

We hope someday you will again be what you were created to be. You were born of a purpose. You were meant to inform the people... to provide unbiased facts. .. all of them, and let the people form their own opinions. This country in its infancy had broken from a tyrannical ruling class that controlled the media and carefully fed the people propaganda that only furthered its own interests. Our founders saw fit to make sure you, the press, were protected from such deceitful practices. And just look what you've done with it. You've squandered that gift for which good men so valiantly fought. You should be ashamed.

But alas, information is everywhere. We the people have each other and don't really need you anyway.

Sincerely,
We the People

Dear Disappointeds,

Please don't be afraid, worried or sad. I know you have your reasons for feeling the way you do, but there is so much to look forward to and to be hopeful about. This has been the most heated race I've seen in my lifetime. Fueled by emotion, convictions and a hope for a better future, each side has passionately fought to be heard.

Those of us who voted for Trump are happy he won. Ecstatic even. But don't mistake our excitement for snobbish pride or a cavalier disdain for those of you who didn't. Believe it or not, this movement was inspired,  launched and has been driven with your good, and the good of every American, in mind. Contrary to what you've been told we are not racist, homophobic, sexist, bigoted, misogynistic, dangerous demagogues, nor are we ignorant or uneducated. We love our country and everyone in it. We love the freedom it stands for. We love the constitution and the protections it affords to ALL Americans to live free and passionately pursue their dreams. That includes you, no matter who you are or what you believe. 

Folks, please listen. Each media outlet chooses what to report and how to present it. They are human, just like me and you, and have opinions on issues and political preferences, etc... You think all that goes out the window just because they are expected to be unbiased? Heck no. They are adept at spinning the news to fit their agenda. Don't be manipulated by the negative rhetoric, carefully chosen sound bites, and expertly edited photos. Shoot, I could record you talking to your momma and with a few edits have you sounding like the spawn of Satan. Likewise, don't make assumptions based on a few idiots who misrepresent the whole. There are morons in every group. Yours included. 

With all that said, I want to address a few of the accusations we Trump voters keep hearing over, and over... and over. It's time to dispel the myths and false narratives perpetuated by the media.

We are not racists. 

Wanting a secure border and to enforce laws that were put in place to protect the citizens of this country does not make us racist. Having and enforcing a process to gain citizenship is not racist. To not enforce the laws equally, or to grant amnesty en masse, is to spit in the face of every law abiding immigrant who has followed the steps to become a naturalized American and has sworn the Oath of Allegiance to this great country. Ask them how they feel about it. 

Disagreeing with the agenda and actions of President Obama doesn't make us racist. Our disdain for his liberal policies and fiscal failures has nothing to do with his color. 

Racist. People need to quit throwing this term out so irresponsibly. We're teetering on the verge of another civil war and it's not because "half our country is racist" - it's because people are being told that "half our country is racist." I'll tell you what's a lot more common than racism - race baiting. Thank the media for that deceitful little tool. No matter the circumstances, you can bet they will scream "racism" any time a white and a non-white are involved in any kind of conflict. That does not make it so. I refuse to be manipulated into fear or hatred for anyone. Period. 

Also, for the record, we don't deny that racism exists. We know there are still a handful of idiots who think their whiteness makes them superior to all others. Don't group those freaks with the rest of us. It's insulting.

We are not misogynists.

How did we earn this label? Because we didn't vote for a woman? Give me a candidate worthy of my vote and she'll have it. 

Or is it because of Trumps comments from 10 years ago? Those comments were wrong, offensive, and indefensible. Have you ever said something that, if made public, would have you crawling under the nearest rock? I dare say you have. Good thing you weren't mic'd. 

Is it because we don't agree with abortion? What many call "a woman's right to choose" is, to many of us, just as wrong as slavery which at the time was defended as "a plantation owners right to own property." That "property" was a human being, and masters were allowed to beat, abuse, rape, or even kill them. They were considered "less than human" and therefore not afforded any rights to protection under the law. Sound familiar? That's how we feel about abortion.  Unborn children have been deemed "less than human" by our courts and are now the property of women, who as masters are free to dispose of them at will. We are fighting to emancipate these innocents. 

We are neither Islamophobic nor xenophobic. 

Wanting to know the intentions of those who seek to enter our country is not phobic, it's logical. Think of it this way. Would you invite 20 people into your home knowing nothing about them except that one, not sure which, intended to kill you and your family? No, I don't think you would. What about the radicalized Islamic extremists who want to kill you because you are a Christian? Or your neighbor because she's gay? Or Americans in general because we are the "great Satan" and teeming with infidels? None of us wants that. The current plan is to take in 110,000 refugees in 2017. We don't have a good vetting process in place. Even if just 1 in 1000 of those was a closet radical, that's 110. It only took 19 men to bring this country to it's knees on 9/11. Remember that. 

America is now, and ever shall be, a melting pot. "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free..." We welcome those that yearn to be free! Free to worship as they choose, to think and speak their mind, to pursue their dreams and to succeed. Let's just make sure that's truly what they are here for, shall we? 

We are not homophobic.

On the contrary, we want LGBTQ's to be treated fairly and not discriminated against. But fair treatment, equality, protection and freedom can't be limited to one group, party, religion, belief or sect. We've somehow come to the conclusion that it's necessary to infringe on the rights of one group in order to protect the rights of another, and that disagreeing with someones lifestyle choice means we dislike, fear, or are prejudiced toward them.

Was it our opposition to the "open bathrooms" policy? You have the right to use a public restroom without feeling weird or threatened. So do I. So does 6-year-old Susie. There are predators who would gladly take advantage of the opportunity to gain access to their prey and our beef is with them, not LGBTQ's. So quit calling people homophobic just because they don't want to share a bathroom with Chester the molester.

Or was is the DOMA act? I get it. Gay couples wanted the same rights, benefits and protections afforded to married couples. Fair enough. They got it. But did it have to be called marriage? We fought to maintain it's definition out of a sacred respect for an institution we see as a holy, God-ordained covenant, not because we are homophobic. If something as simple as alternate terminology could preserve the rights of everyone involved, why wouldn't we go with that? Seriously. Why? 

We are Americans.

The American freedom we so enjoy has been in serious jeopardy for a long while now; a ship that had pitched off course and was destined for destruction. What happened Tuesday was a necessary first step in righting the ship. We voted for one Nation, under God. We voted to stop the killing of the innocent. We voted to preserve religious freedom. We voted for protection of our constitutional rights.

Here's what protected rights look like: I have the right to believe in God. An atheist has the right to not believe in God. I have the right to pray, and to invite you to join me if you choose to. You have the right to not participate. I have the right to say, "Merry Christmas!" and you have the right to say, "Happy Holidays!" A Hindu has the right to serve in public office. So does a Christian. A gay couple has the right to buy a cake and have a ceremony. A baker has the right to not provide that cake, and a preacher has a right to not officiate the ceremony. A Muslim has the right to refuse to serve pork in a restaurant that he owns. I have the right to go next door and get a BLT.  You have the right to use a public restroom without feeling weird or threatened. So do I.

You see, we don't believe it's necessary to infringe on the rights of one group in order to protect the rights of another, and frankly we're tired of having our rights compromised, trampled on, mocked and ignored. So yeah, we stood up for the freedoms we saw being systematically stripped from us. It was subtle at first, and largely ignored, but people are waking up and speaking out. It's gone too far, too often.

You have nothing to fear from us. We are only interested in protecting your rights as an American citizen, and preserving the freedom, safety and protection our laws and borders are meant to provide. We're not out to get you, afraid of you, or a danger to you... and though we may not agree with you, we certainly don't hate you.

Thank you and God Bless America.