We live in an age of doubt—in our institutions, in each other, in ourselves—a time when we constantly question what the truth really is.
When truth stares us all in the face, on a jumbotron no less, it provokes fury from those who prefer the masses stay docile and uninformed.
Such was the case when the Fresno Grizzlies minor league baseball team played a Memorial Day tribute video this year, narrated by Ronald Reagan delivering his first inaugural address. As the Gipper spoke about "enemies of freedom" and the will of the American people to fight them, images of Kim Jong-un, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Fidel Castro splashed across the screen.
One is the dictator of North Korea. One is the deceased former dictator of Cuba. One represents New York's 14th Congressional District.
Outrage ensued. How dare anyone call Ocasio-Cortez, a proud socialist hell bent on remaking the United States into a bankrupt vegetable garden running on sunshine and fever dreams, an adversary of freedom? Well, telling the truth is tough, especially in the age of instant blowback for those who color outside the lines.
Kim and Castro are known foreign threats, but the heroic maker of this video reminded Americans there are menaces on the inside, too. They don't threaten nuclear destruction, but viral tweets and Rolling Stone covers that would lead to a socialist fate worse than death.
The Grizzlies cowered and apologized for showing the Memorial Day video to their fans without vetting it first. It's worth noting the team is the triple-A affiliate of the Swamp's Washington Nationals.
But the video remains online for all to see, cheer, and share, on the YouTube channel of "Emilio E." That's likely a way to protect his identity as he wages online war on freedom's foes.
Wherever and whoever you are, "Emilio," we salute you as a Washington Free Beacon Man of the Year.
