An opinion piece on the lack of mainstream media coverage of the Freedom convoys and their obsession with the failed attempt by Bob Bolis.
This opinion post is a criticism of the press, not necessarily Bob Bolis. Well, maybe a little about Bolus.
Who Is Bob Bolus As He Relates To The American Freedom Convoys?
Bob Bolus has a towing company in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Bolus has a less than stellar past and started with the toxic idea of shutting down Washington’s beltway.
Had he accomplished that, Bolus would have likely done more harm than good. It would have caused the very people we seek support from to hate the convoy as well as place participants in legal jeopardy by interfering with interstate commerce, among other laws. As a businessman, Bolus should know this and more than likely allowed anger to cloud his judgment. That’s a shame.
Lessons From History
Back in a 1974 protest, a few truck drivers attacked non-participating truck drivers, throwing bricks at their trucks from an overpass, even shooting at them. Two drivers were murdered.
by February 11th, most truckers were back on the road. But damage had been done – two truck drivers had been killed, there was a nationwide shortage of fuel and other goods, and more than 100,000 factory workers were laid off, all as a result of the protest.
This protest brought American commerce to a screeching halt. Factory workers were laid-off when factories couldn’t get the supplies they needed, farmers had crops rotting in their fields with no one to transport them to market, and even the cross-country migration of the American people was halted, as moving trucks refused to operate for fear of violence against them. President Carter even called the protesting drivers ‘terrorists.’
Wimberly Patton – CDL Life – November 13, 2020
Another trucker strike happened back in 1983, my first year driving, where seventy drivers were injured, and one driver was shot to death.
President Reagan yesterday strongly denounced the violence that has accompanied the truck drivers’ strike and said it would be the “worst thing in the world” for the government to cave in to those “committing murder.”
Douglas B. Feaver – The Washington Post – February 5, 1983
Here’s an interesting article on the history of trucking protests.
The point?
My point is we need to learn from history and not repeat some of the stupidity we’ve done in our past. I’m not against peaceful protests, trucking convoys, and even shutdowns. Shutdowns mean you park the trucks, not block freeways and force communities to deal with the noise and disruption.
I’m actually not even against that other than the tactic can never achieve the goal. It causes angst among the public, deepens the divide we already have, and forces the totalitarian authorities’ hand.
Why Would The News Media Focus Its Attention On Bolus
I could be wrong, but it seems as if some media focused heavily on one failed attempt by a “convoy” to make a joke out of the freedom convoys altogether.
In fact, most news sites have ignored the convoys altogether, but not to the degree they had on the Ottawa Freedom Convoy where they ran a weeks-long media blackout.
Seriously, people, these are the folks you trust to keep you informed?
I’m not even sure why they were getting so much press with one man, a small tow truck company owner (NOT a truck driver), a small Facebook group, and little to no following or support. It’s like the offensive stance Bolus took attracted the media and supplied some negative soundbites they clearly wanted to publish.
Julio-César Chávez Tweets
Reuters producer Julio-César Chávez actually took to the streets to follow Bolus and his few supporters as if it were one of the legitimate true-to-the-cause trucker’s freedom convoys. He offered play-by-play updates on Twitter where the non-story gained a ton of attention.
DC trucker convoy update from Scranton, PA:
— Julio-César Chávez (@JulioCesrChavez) February 23, 2022
There is currently only one truck in the convoy. Organizer Bob Bolus said they expected more people to join, and will call off the convoy if others don’t show up
Convoy was scheduled to leave an hour and 45 minutes ago pic.twitter.com/1IyQ3Nrv3O
To The Morons That Use Bolus To Discredit The Trucker Convoys
I initially wrote my response to Erin Marquis’s opinion piece on Jalopnik. At least I hope it was an opinion and not her trying to pass it off as news reporting.
I pulled the comment from Jalopnik for two reasons:
- First, it probably wouldn’t have seen the light of day on that website
- Second, there are other arrogant, self-righteous freedom haters that hold similar opinions and this can be my response to those people as well.
My Response To The Idiots Acting As If Bolus Represents Truckers
The convoys may peter out, not have a huge impact, or even be attacked by the media and officials, but none of that will be because they can’t navigate to or around large cities. That’s ridiculous. It’s literally their life. It’s what they do – for a living and as professionals.
Everything in EVERY city was brought in by truck. Even what’s brought in by train or plane is then put on a truck, where it goes to its final destination/s. Unless that is, your store has a runway, railway, or is one of the few exceptions, where a factory may have a rail going into their plant.
In fact, most items have been on many trucks, e.g. ingredients, raw materials, parts, chemicals, line haul to local hand-offs, etc. Everything you use, own, look at, drive, eat, or work on – everything was in a truck. To act like truckers are idiots that can’t navigate around a city is not only insulting, it’s a pathetic lie.
The impact of the trucker Freedom convoys, or any other protest, will depend on the support of the American people. After a two-year beat-down, that’s not very promising.
Too many people are willing to accept the narrative without question and call anyone willing to rock the boat a fringe minority, right-wing extremists, or even domestic terrorists. It’s sad really, how being a Freedom-loving Patriot is now considered an outcast and everyone seems to sit back and allow the lies and abuse to continue.
By the way, the one tiny group that said they wanted to grid-lock the beltway backed off that statement to the Daily Beast, and it looks like that particular convoy (Bob Bolus) has packed up and gone home already.
Maybe it makes people feel better when they’re distracted by nonsense, so they don’t have to face reality, buying into the hyped-up garbage lining every news site making up headlines, and pleasing their masters.
/rant
Brian D. Hawkins
Brian D. Hawkins is a late-blooming thought leader in his mind. So please don't disturb his happy thoughts. It's all he has.
Brian D. Hawkins has been a blogger for over twenty years, having written thousands of public articles on dozens of websites. He currently blogs for NextStepSurvival.com and his personal blog at TheOpinionBlog.com.
Be First to Comment