Once upon a time, on a quiet train in Charlotte, North Carolina, a tragic incident unfolded that would make one’s hair stand on end—but not for the reasons many would expect. While Iryna Zarutska’s tragic fate captured the normal folks’ attention, the mainstream media dragged their feet like a kid on a Monday morning before eventually muttering a half-hearted acknowledgment of the incident. But oh boy, when they did, the coverage was as skewed and selective as ever.
The scene opens with President Trump weighing in, his voice draped in the heavy tones of frustration and determination. He takes aim at the Democrat-helmed cities, where policies seemingly embrace an open-door policy for hardened criminals. These are cities where notorious repeat offenders are as much a staple as overpriced lattes in a hipster cafe. Just take the alleged perpetrator here, freed and emboldened by a justice system that might as well set up a revolving door for its habit of catch-and-release antics.
Naturally, the media’s reaction isn’t one of addressing these issues but feverishly focusing on the criticisms leapfrogging across social media. It’s as if they were handed a script titled “See No Crime, Speak No Crime,” all the while tut-tutting at any mention of statistics that might upset their curated narrative. Stats, you see, have been deemed veritable spirits of discord, haunting the halls of political correctness. Mention them, and brace yourself for the deluge of righteous indignation from the usual suspects over at the Press Protection Squad.
Is it not intriguing that when these incidents occur, the media manages to find its way to correlating them with some deeply buried historical grievance? In a magician-like maneuver, anything and everything links back to a narrative that is as harmonious to their audience as a lullaby. In this particular episode, the seemingly systematic capitalization—or lack thereof—of racial identifiers made its theatrical entrance, much to the chuckle of those who have long seen through such editorial antics.
And don’t even get started on the backlash online. Cue the social media mobs who, having perfected their rage over time, decided to take on the role of jury, judge, and executioner. They showed themselves to be surprisingly adept at double standards, where violent rhetoric aimed at this tragedy is swept under the rug, but heaven forbid one tips over the sacred cow of systemic bias. When narratives are preferred over statistics, the ensuing commentary becomes a parade of baffling mental gymnastics.
As much as it pains the mainstream think tanks, incidents like what happened to Iryna aren’t isolated bubbles of madness but symptoms of a deeper malaise. One might hope that illuminating these realities wouldn’t be reserved for only the tenacious voices that dare step out of line. Alas, we wander in hope, with eyes wide open, watching the merry dance of selective truths with an eyebrow arched in skepticism.
