Medal of Freedom has been devalued and should be retired

Trust in the media continues to erode in the United States

By Ken Tingley

The Presidential Medal of Freedom should be retired.

It should be put in a drawer in the National Archives and forgotten.

It means nothing anymore.

The award is bestowed by the president of the United States to recognize those who have made "an especially meritorious contribution to the security or national interests of the United States, world peace, cultural or other significant public or private endeavors."

It was created by President Kennedy in 1963 - he never got to give out the award - and its recipients include statesman, popes, scientists, researchers and leaders from every slice of American society who made the country a better place. Some were politicians, but none received it for being political.

The list of honorees is a “who’s who” of celebrity and accomplishment, It includes the likes of Cesar Chavez, Jackie Robinson, Jacques Cousteau, Hellen Keller, Edward Murrow, Henry Kissinger, Thurgood Marshall, Simon Wiesenthal, Jonas Salk, Carl Sandburg and Bob Hope.

There was so much tumult in the final days of the Trump presidency, you will be forgiven if you overlooked the travesty two days before the Capitol riots on Jan. 6. Rep. Devin Nunes and Rep. Jim Jordan both were awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in a private White House ceremony closed to the press.

After the events of Jan. 6, that travesty was the least of the country’s problems.

Jordan’s nomination to be speaker was a reminder of how much politics factored into every single decision during the Trump administration.

It has never been like this before.

Ironically, President Richard Nixon honored seven Washington journalists for their lifetime of work. Of course, neither was Woodward or Bernstein. Both still have not received the honor.

George W. Bush also honored two journalists as well, but by 200 he balanced the selection by selecting one from the New York Times and another from the Wall Street Journal.

By the time Barack Obama got to the White House, the awards were heavy with celebrities like Tom Hanks, Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan. There have been plenty of other Hollywood types over the years.

As Obama was leaving office, he even honored Vice President Joe Biden with the Medal of Freedom, for a lifetime of lifetime of public service. I suspect Obama never imagined that Joe would become the first person to receive the Medal of Freedom before he became president.

But honoring bomb-throwing members of congress for their political hatchet jobs is a bridge too far.

The White House announced the honor for Nunes by saying he “pursued the Russia Hoax at great personal risk and never stopped standing up for the truth. He had the fortitude to take on the media, the FBI, the Intelligence Community, the Democrat Party, foreign spies, and the full power of the Deep State. Devin paid a price for his courage.”

As chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, Nunes steered the Republican majority into a quick “no collusion” decision on the Russian investigation, even though the Senate came to a totally different conclusion.

The price Nunes paid is that he is now CEO of the Trump Media and Technology Group. It has been reported he pulls in a salary of about $750,000.

Jordan was also honored with the Medal of Freedom even though he has never passed any legislation in Congress. The medal gives him something in common with not only Mother Teresa, but Bill Cosby as well. Maybe they can all do lunch sometime soon.

The White House praised Jordan for fighting against the Russian interference in the 2016 election and “confronting senior Justice Department officials for obstructing Congress and exposing the fraudulent origins of the Russia collusion lie.”

Of course we are learning more every day that none of that was true.

Jordan was also praised for defending Trump against his first impeachment, calling the representative “an inspiration to freedom-loving Americans everywhere and has distinguished himself as one of the most consequential members of Congress of his generation.” It made no mention if he distinguished himself as an assistant wrestling coach at Ohio State.

It is crystal clear now the pair were honored for their service to a sitting American president and not to the betterment of the country.

During the State of the Union address in February 2020, Trump announced that conservative talk radio host Rush Limbaugh was being honored with the Medal of Freedom. The first later put it around his neck right then. Limbaugh died a year later from lung cancer at the age of 70, leaving a legacy that resonates with a country divided.

The New York Times described Limbaugh’s legacy this way:

“Mr. Limbaugh turned politics into edgy, meanspirited entertainment, tapping into a latent demand for pure conservative talk. His audience was huge, as was his influence on the Republicans. His approach — demonizing opponents, rejecting compromise, embracing conspiracy theories — shaped the party of former President Donald Trump. Looking back, Limbaugh’s legacy will be that of an early version of Trump who helped divide the country.”

That has forever tainted the award.

It’s time to end it the travesty.

If Trump is re-elected, you can be sure Clarence Thomas will be the next recipient.

Trust in the media

The Last American Newspaper is a love letter to the great journalism we did at The Post-Star over two decades. The work made a difference. It made the communities we served better places to live. We held the politicians accountable.

I believe that with all my heart and would and I think I make a pretty good case for it in the book.

That makes Gallups’s latest poll especially disturbing.

Just one in three Americans trust the mass media to report the news “fully, accurately and fairly.” It’s the second worst rating ever. Only the 2016 presidential election year was worse.

It doesn’t mean it is justified.

There is a case that communities are not being covered as well. Cutbacks have left media outlets with fewer resources and less experience. “Fake news” accusations almost always have no basis in fact, yet they cut at the confidence of reporters and editors.

Readers have noticed. They miss the “good old days.”

For the first time there were more Americans who had no confidence in the media than who had “a great deal” of confidence.

And it’s not just a partisan phenomenon.

Just 27 percent of independents had a great deal of trust in the media while 41 percent said they had no trust at all.

Democrats continue to have the most trust with 70 percent while just 14 percent of Republicans have a great deal of trust.

It seems ironic the leader of the Republican Party has told more lies than any politician in history and our current congresswoman is not much better.

Web site coming

With my third book coming out this Month - my second collection of columns - I’ve spent most of this week putting together a website that will allow readers to buy directly from me instead of Amazon.

I hope to go online sometime in the next few days. You still have to pay shipping, but it is another way to get the new book.