See if you can spot the spineless pandering to the criminal element in these sentences:

"A Des Moines pizza delivery driver who was suspended after he shot an alleged armed robber last week said Tuesday that he has been overwhelmed by support from people who cheered what happened.

"But no one had contacted me directly about a job offer," said James William Spiers III, 38, who was suspended by Pizza Hut after he fired multiple shots at a man who allegedly put a gun to his head…."

Still don’t see it? I’ll point it out to you.

First incident: “…after he shot an alleged armed robber.” Note how the victim “shot” an ALLEGED armed robber.

Later, we read that the victim—not “alleged” victim, but victim for sure—“fired multiple shots at a man who allegedly put a gun to his head…”

So, the criminal allegedly did something, but the victim did in fact do it.

How can that be if in fact a crime was committed? Was this media outlet, desmoinesregister.com, really wondering if something occurred? Or, more likely, did the reporter or editor not have the guts to call it like it happened?

How is it, then, that the paper (for the Register is a newspaper first) felt no compunction to state flatly that the delivery driver in fact fired as well? Isn’t that a no-no?

Not in today’s journalism. Reporters regularly hide behind “allegedly” to avoid stating the obvious. In some cases they should. But in a case like this, where it’s obvious two people had guns, the paper should simply state the facts. The driver was held up, he pulled a gun, and sent the would-be robber fleeing with several bullets in his hide. (Too bad the driver hadn’t aimed for the head or heart.)

It’s writing like this that drives normal people crazy. The media bend over backwards to protect the “rights” of the criminals—even though reporting factually about a crime does not diminish a criminal’s rights one wit—yet let the victim hang out to dry.

No wonder hard-working, law-abiding citizens are running away from the mainstream media in droves. They’re sick of the constant pandering and hand-holding for criminals. The delivery driver can count on at least one prominent (and proud) mention: In American Rifleman’s “The Armed Citizen” column.