The American Divide
President-elect Donald Trump went to Ohio State University yesterday to comfort the victims of last week's terror attack and to praise the hero police officer who brought Abdul Razak Ali Artan's rampage to a swift end. Here's what Trump told reporters after his meeting:
"This is a great honor for me today. We're in a fantastic state that I love, Ohio. And we just saw the victims and the families. These were really brave people, amazing people. The police and first responders were incredible. The job -- in particular by one young gentlemen -- was incredible. I got to meet him, and he was very brave."
Kudos to Mr. Trump for making this visit. However, the rest of the news coverage of the visit shows the great divide in America.
Trump has correctly identified Artan as a radical jihadist. But according to the Washington Post, authorities remain mystified about the attack. "The FBI and local investigators are still working to determine what led Artan to the sudden violence, which left 13 people wounded," the Post tells us today.
Meanwhile, radical campus activists seemingly expressed some sympathy for the terrorist who attacked them. Wednesday, members of the OSU Coalition for Black Liberation held a rally protesting police brutality. Unbelievably, they included Artan's name during the reading of a list of recent incidents in which people of color were killed by police.
Gender studies student Maryam Abidi told the crowd, "In some cases, the deceased may have committed acts of violence against others before they were killed."
And then Ms. Abidi insisted, "The protest against police brutality extends to the innocent and the guilty alike, because we know that no matter the crime, justice and due process don't come from a cop's bullet."
My friends, this is insane. In the case of Abdul Artan, justice did come from a cop's bullet. And I make no apologies for thanking God that Officer Alan Horujko was there so quickly to dispense justice to this jihadist.
Sadly, confusion at OSU is very much like the moral equivalence we see our elites deploy so often when it comes to the Palestinian extremists and Israelis. There is a disturbing inability to differentiate between the terrorists and their victims, the murderers and the murdered.
Incredibly, some commentators are suggesting that Trump was the reason for the attack because Artan was so upset about the things Trump said about Muslims. So let's get this straight: A Muslim who didn't like Donald Trump suggesting that there may be a link between Islam and terrorism decided to commit a terrorist act and that is Trump's fault. Is that really the defense they want to offer?
But here's what really jumped out at me while reading the Post report. William Clark, a professor injured during Artan's attack, couldn't make it to Trump's meeting because he is still recovering from his wounds. But he offered this critique:
"I wasn't going to jump in and say he did this because he was a jihadist terrorist. There may be a lot more to it than that .?.?. What else might have sent him over the edge for him to decide to do it? I don't think we know yet."
Incredible! What would it take to convince Professor Clark? No wonder students are so confused if this is an example of the kind of instruction they are receiving.
The reaction to the OSU terror attack -- even among some of those who were attacked -- demonstrates the growing divide in America. Abdul Razak Ali Artan does not deserve to be remembered or thought of as a "victim" of anything. And the victims of Artan's vicious attack deserve to know the truth about what motivated him.
More Fake News
On a lighter note, here's a fun follow-up to our recent item on fake news.
Do you remember a couple of days ago when I mentioned this Washington Post headline: "Corporate America Unnerved By Trump"? Well, today's Washington Post front page reads: "Trump Fuels Labor Unease." So big business is worried and big labor is worried. Either Trump knows how to cover his bases or the liberal media just can't get its story straight.
I'm not a prophet, but I'm guessing that tomorrow we'll see this headline: "Elderly Fearful Of Trump." That will be followed Sunday by: "High Anxiety Among Youth Over Trump," followed by Monday with "Middle-Age Feel Abandoned By Trump."
But wait . . . There's more.
Last night on MSNBC, Brian Williams did a report lamenting the influence of fake news. Talk about chutzpah. Brian Williams is the poster boy for fake news. In fact, his reporting of fake news cost him his previous job!