A group of armed men from Dallas group Next Generation Action Network said they were protecting women during their march on Saturday in downtown Tyler.

Double standard in protest events

I am intrigued and saddened by the contrasting news stories regarding recent protest events. When Hank Gilbert brought Support Portland Protesters to Tyler and Blue Lives Matter counter protestors showed up, the media was all over the guns displayed by various groups opposing Gilbert.

However, the media barely mentioned that out of town protestors, including the Dallas NGAN, and others, showed up with many men carrying automatic weapons to support the Black Lives matter protest [Women’s March] Saturday. At this event, the media was silent and non-critical.

Isn’t this a double standard? Why is one group castigated while other group of gun-totters are downplayed and given distinction? Both had the lawful right to carry but were portrayed very differently in the media. One media outlet showed approximately 20 supporters while another outlet published there were 100 in attendance.

Who do we believe?

Are some in the local media covertly presenting one group as more prominent and less threatening than others? Also, there was barely mention that the BLM woman’s march blocked traffic after a local law enforcement agent asked them not to, creating unsafe conditions.

Why were they allowed to block traffic? This is dangerous.

Reminds me of larger city violent protests. The media downplayed this as well. As Susan Sontag once said, One person’s barbarian is another person’s “just doing what everybody else is doing.”

Robert Wilson

Tyler

False statements made from ignorance

Since this pandemic started there have been a lot of false misleading statements made out of ignorance, and to try and gain votes. Look at our congressman Louie Gohmert. He would not wear a mask but blamed wearing a mask on him catching the virus. That statement shows total ignorance. To me it is obvious that masks have to help. They definitely can shiel you or others from breathing in those droplets.

Then there is Donald. He mocked science. He said at the beginning that the virus was a hoax, and a Democrat scam. He said the virus was no more serious then the flu, and it would end with warmer weather in April.He said there will be a vaccine soon and the virus would disappear. He said anyone who wanted a test could get one, and infections were going down He swears up and down that that anti-malarial drug is a curall. And he thinks or wants us to believe he is doing a good job.

If he would have taken it seriously at the beginning and listened to the people with the knowledge we might not be in this mess. How come we have one quarter of all the worlds cases and deaths? If we were doing good that would not be. He is more concerned with himself then with the people. We are a great country and we were before he took office. Our country is in trouble now. There is to much distention going on now. We need to listen to people who know what they are talking about, and try to get out of this mess. We all are tired of what is going on now. Let us come together as a united country under God.

Harvey Collen

Tyler