 The mainstream media has historically tried to balance left and right in its political coverage and present what it views as a reasonable center, telling both sides of a controversial story. Now that may sound good in theory, but the old politics no longer exists, and the former labels left versus right are outdated. Today, it's democracy versus authoritarianism, voting rights versus right supremacy. There's no reasonable center between these positions, no justifiable compromise. Equating them is misleading and dangerous. You'll hear the mainstream media say, for example, that certain, quote, Republican and Democratic lawmakers are emerging as troublemakers within their parties, unquote. These reports equate Republican lawmakers who are actively promoting Trump's big lie that their 2020 election stolen, with Democratic lawmakers who are fighting to extend healthcare and other programs to help people. But these are not equivalent. Trump's big lie is a direct challenge to American democracy. Even if you disagree with providing Americans better access to healthcare, it's not going to destroy our system of government. You also hear that both sides are gripped by equally dangerous extremism. Labeling them radical left and radical right suggests that the responsible position somehow is between these so-called extremes. Can we get real? One side is trying to protect and preserve voting rights. The other side is trying to suppress votes under the guise of election integrity. But there isn't and never was a problem of election integrity. The whole issue of election integrity in the 2020 election was manufactured by Donald Trump and his big lie about voter fraud. If you count the legal votes, I easily win. If you count the illegal votes, they can try to steal the election from us. And was bought and propagated by the Republican Party. Today's Republican Party is behind what historians regard as the biggest attack on voting rights since Jim Crow. But the media frames this as a right versus left battle that's just politics as usual. Equating the two sides is false and dangerous. Or compare the coverage of Marjorie Taylor Greene and Lauren Boebert on the one hand with the coverage of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ilan Omar on the other. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene is sparking controversy again. We should be looking at the most extreme on both sides and I would bring up Congresswoman Ilan Omar. What you are talking about just a big picture is a radical agenda compared to the way politics is done right now. You think they were all equally out of the mainstream. Some are the extreme right, some are the extreme left. Well that's fun. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Lauren Boebert, in addition to spreading dangerous conspiracy theories, harassing colleagues, and promoting bigotry, don't actually legislate or do anything for their constituents. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ilan Omar both organized to help everyday people deliver for their constituents and have pushed legislation to provide universal school meals, expand affordable housing, and combat the climate crisis. Equating all these lawmakers suggests that the responsible position is halfway between hateful delusional conspiracy theories on the one hand and efforts to fight white supremacy, save the planet, and empower working people on the other. It's similar to what the media did following Donald Trump's infamous condemnation of both sides. I think there's blame on both sides. After the deadly violence sparked by neo-nazis and white supremacists in Charlottesville, Virginia in 2017. In the ensuing weeks, America's six top mainstream newspapers used just as much space condemning anti-Nazi counter protesters as they did actual neo-nazis. But research shows white supremacists pose a significantly graver threat than those trying to stop them. White supremacists are animated by racism, sexism, anti-Semitism, and other forms of bigotry, violence, and hate. Battling white supremacy is not the same as advocating it. Passing laws to prevent voter suppression is not the same as passing laws to suppress votes. Fighting for our democracy is not the same as seeking to destroy it. The media equating both sides, one left and one right, suggests there's a moderate middle between hate and inclusion, between democracy and proto-fascism. This is misleading, dangerous, and morally wrong. Don't fall for it.