Editor:

Drew Brees is a football player bound to become as famous as Colin Kaepernick — not quite for the same reason. Kaepernick decided to disrespect the U.S. national anthem and a salute to our flag and was hailed by media activists. Drew Brees got bullied because of his message to kids during a Focus on Family event, encouraging them to bring their Bibles to school and somehow enjoy and share God’s love. Big Easy Magazine, by all accounts a publication pushing its extreme liberal agenda, reported Brees was attempting to get those kids to convert (gays) in their schools. That claim — a lie — was picked up by mainstream activist journalists, it appears, without much forethought or investigation. Brees responded, and never once degraded or complained about their attempt to assassinate his character. Instead he expressed his beliefs rooted in his religion and values that he has no hate toward any gender, culture, race or religion.

Where does all this vitriolic behavior end? Journalists who have reduced themselves to activists, who are bent on destroying anyone of prominence who can and do take center stage and may not align with their particular agenda, do all they can to undermine them, and they do it with hate and acrimony. These false reporters work for publishers who allow them to tout false accusations as truths. Their work demonizes those they view as adversaries and attempts to drive them off the public stage.

Anyone who heard Brees knows that this fine athlete and good man did nothing to promote hate for anyone or any group. His remarks were kind and innocuous. Yet, some media outlets chose to align themselves with the Big Easy, seemingly, without any further investigation into the matter, and in so doing reached out to destroy a good person’s character and reputation.

There are haters who bully those who somehow do not align with their thinking. The scorn they reflect in their actions and writings they blame on others “who are making them do it” — obvious complete unadulterated drivel. People are responsible for their own actions. No one has the right to be foul and disrespectful because of someone else’s bad behavior. Bad behavior is personal, and the responsibility falls on the individual acting that way.

If there is a fix, it must be pretty simple, really. It starts in our schools, in our universities, with our media outlets and with our elected. All that’s needed is someone willing to take responsibility for their actions, their words, and just a small amount of consideration and an understanding that acting with consideration and respect, even in the face of adversity, might just work to bring back some civility in our culture. Civility is a wonderfully crafted human capability that separates us from animals and is sorely missing too often and in too many places in our society today.

Pete Kapuscinski

Dillwyn, VA