Rumors are dangerous, but in light of the weighted situation in the Middle East, the damage that fake news can do is amplified tenfold. Unfortunately, such has become the case to open up 2020, a sad example of the bias and fearmongering of the news industry today.
Take, for example, reports that dozens of Iranian-Americans were held up and questioned at the U.S.-Canada Border. First issued by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), an extremist group known for dishonesty, the fake rumor based on anonymous sources went viral the second it hit the desks of leftist journalists. Even some notable Democratic politicians have bought into the lie, as have news outlets like The San Diego Union-Tribune.
Shortly after, Customs and Border Protection corrected the record, stating that such social media posts were false and that any CBP/DHS reports on the subject were fabricated. Unfortunately, the correction has been all but ignored. As President Ronald Reagan famously said, “trust, but verify.”
Michael Friel, a spokesperson for CBP, stated, “Based on the current threat environment, CBP is operating with an enhanced posture at its ports of entry to safeguard our national security and protect the American people while simultaneously protecting the civil rights and liberties of everyone.” Additionally, he noted that border wait times are only increasing due to the high volume of traffic and reduced staffing that comes as a product of the holiday season.
It’s a good practice to be cautious of sensationalist news articles in the media, especially in a time when outlandish news is more common than actual facts. This false narrative is only one of many from the far left meant to cause endless hysteria in place of activism.
