Be Not Afraid America

Call me a cockeyed optimist but I just can't get into the gloom and doom mentality of many of my conservative colleagues. Over and over I hear them say, "I've never been so afraid for my country. We're headed for a depression," etc, etc. There are simply too many good signs that need to be celebrated that the pessimists are overlooking. The biggest boost to my confidence stems from the rising number of Tea Party rallies. That shows me that the nation is shaking off its apathy and taking back the reins of government. We're doing it with the weapons our forefathers gave us in the Constitution: our votes.

I'm buoyed by the letters to the editor that I read every day in my local newspaper, the Staten Island Advance. This Newhouse publication (which I used to write for) leans left, and many of the articles are supportive of the current administration. However, the borough itself leans right and many residents are voicing their concerns in their letters. Some parrot the mass media mantra, but it's apparent that many are getting their facts from the new alternative media on the World Wide Web and possibly the Fox News network.

Thanks to Andrew Breitbart, the mainstream media (MSM) is being monitored by his sites: Big Government, Big Hollywood, and Big Journalism. These sites allow the public to learn what's not being reported and what are just plain lies, such as when the numbers at pro-life and Tea Party rallies are deliberately undercounted. These sites back up the articles with links to the true story and videos that are thought-provoking and eye-opening.

I write for Big Hollywood and Big Journalism and anything I submit must be backed up with solid documented facts. It was Mr. Breitbart's Big Government that first exposed the corruption behind ACORN, which had been ignored by the MSM for weeks.

Unfortunately, while the Internet is a great tool for researching the truth, quite often it's used to post malicious and slanderous items against conservatives.

Mr. Breitbart will have his staff and contributors investigate the allegations to determine their veracity and will post the results with documented facts so that readers can judge for themselves if the charges have merit. Consequently, he's a prime target for his rivals in the media, as is everyone at the Fox News network. When President Obama singled out and criticized Fox as a non-news network, he was unwittingly admitting its potential influence in thwarting his political machinations.

But Fox is the top-rated cable news station and so it was inevitable that he would agree to an exclusive interview to reach its vast audience and sell his so-called health reform bill. It probably seemed like a good idea to select Bret Baier, the genial and non-threatening host of Fox's "Special Report," the program previously hosted by Brit Hume. Mr. Obama's previous appearance with Bill O'Reilly came off quite favorably for him, so he was ill-prepared for the incisive grilling he received from Mr. Baier. N

aturally, Mr. Baier's interview was described by the MSM as "contentious," "rude," and "insolent." Chris Matthews, Mr. Obama's ever-loyal sycophant, still is getting tingles up his leg for the president, and on his MSNBC show, "Hardball," showed an edited version of the Baier/Obama interview that portrayed Mr. Baier as constantly interrupting the president. In actuality, Mr. Baier was trying to get straight answers to questions that Americans had sent into the network for him to ask, and Mr. Obama was continually obfuscating his responses. Fortunately, the unedited version is available on the Fox Web site and YouTube for all to decide whether Mr. Baier deserved praise or criticism for acting like a real journalist.

The World Wide Web is one of the reasons why I have so much hope for the country. The Hollywood classic, "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington," has James Stewart as an honest Congressman up against a vile corrupt system in his hometown, which is ruled by a crooked newspaper tycoon who spreads lies about him and shuts down any opposition. The Internet makes this scenario anachronistic and we should be suspicious of anyone trying to stifle its ability to transmit truth throughout the world.

Thanks to the "pajamas media" and fantastic sites such as lucianne.com and freerepublic.com, I can read legitimate news articles from around the world and the comments of savvy registered readers, many of whom are professionals: doctors, lawyers, and academics who refute or verify the information. It was this resource that led to the downfall of Dan Rather who ran with an anti-Bush story that was discredited by the eagle eyes of the "pajamahadeen."

I'm so grateful to Matt Drudge who reports stories that liberal journalists are too intimidated to reveal. The MSM may loath the Drudgereport.com but I wonder if many of the longstanding members of Congress would have ever been elected in the first place if we had had the kind of journalism that deserves the protection of the Bill of Rights.

By all rights, I should be as worried as the doomsayers because the wolf is right outside my door 24/7 but I look around and see signs that belie the Paul Krugmans and other pedantic mavens who insist that passing this health care bill is vital. No it's not.

There is no health care crisis and if we want to determine what the major affliction in this country is - based on the billions and billions of dollars spent on its advertising and prescriptions - it seems to be erectile dysfunction.

Question: If we're headed for a depression, how could a movie such as "Avatar" make a billion dollars? How come in such a horrible recession there are so many thriving beauty and nail salons? We sure don't look like the country devastated by the real Depression or we wouldn't all be so fat.

So excuse my "What, me worry?" attitude but I can't help but believe that someone up there likes us. I live in the NYC borough that was hardest hit by the recent Nor'easter that toppled 560 huge trees on Staten Island. The limbs of my daughter's enormous tulip crashed down and destroyed her fence and blocked the street. Her insurance deductible is so high she can't afford to have it removed by professionals. Is she devastated? Not at all. She feels blessed because that limb was directly over her children's bedroom and yet the wind blew it away from the house.

She's right to feel blessed, as we all should for we are living in this great nation blessed by God.

Alicia Colon resides in New York City and can be reached at aliciav.colon@gmail.com and at www.aliciacolon.com