Today's words of wisdom ...
Part of an irregular series in which we look at wise words from history and how they deepen our understanding of the here and now ...
"When the politicians complain that TV turns the proceedings into a circus, it should be made clear that the circus was already there, and that TV has merely demonstrated that not all the performers are well trained." - Edward R. Murrow (1908-1965), radio and television journalist.
Murrow was arguably the 20th century's greatest American journalist. It wasn't because he had a silvery voice or got his facts straight or put words together with beauty and precision (although he did all those things), he was great because of his grasp of the free press' role in democracy and his courage to face down powerful figures and uncomfortable truths.
So, in this quote, we get a little bit of all that was special in Murrow: The wit, the humor, the deep understanding and the fearlessness, all on display.
What Murrow was saying in a light and artful way is that people in power will often fling blame at those who expose the truth, as a method of distraction and defense.
We see this philosophy tested time and time again. Remember when fomer Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld (and others) suggested that the tragic debacle in Iraq was in part a journalistic creation? How about when Bill Clinton supporters blamed a "frenzied media" for his lying and philandering in the White House? Don't forget Ronald Reagan's top press people and other supporters railing against the "media" for making too much ado about his administrations' illegal arms dealing in the Iran Contra affair.
Now ask yourself: Here, in San Bernardino, how many times have politicians or other civic leaders attempted to excuse uncomfortable truths by blaming local newspapers for reporting them?
Civic leaders who dispute not the truth, but it's full public airing, would serve themselves well by heeding advice Murrow would issue, paraphrasing another scribe, William Shakespeare, "The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves."
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"What Murrow was saying in a light and artful way is that people in power will often fling blame at those who expose the truth as a method of distraction and defense."
Wow, he must be Pat and Jim Morris' mentor......
The days of Edward R. Murrow were days of innocence and days when family values meant something to all men and women alike. The destruction of the family core by the feminists who really wanted to stay home but were torn to show their worth by adopting the loose principles of society is what brings us to the following points.
The TV, radio, print media, the feminists, the internet sites and the Hollywood celebrities that push for a dysfunctional society attack Sarah Palin and her family the same way that John McCain is relentlessly is attacked day in and day out 24/7 from every direction.
This is the type of relentless mental propaganda that was used by the North Vietnamese captors; I am equally convinced that if physical torture or death could be inflicted by these so called news reporting organizations looking for dirt in every part of our Country, it would be used to sensationalize their publications and media shows on TV, radio, movie, and internet hate sites. Only the physical elements are missing in this one sided attempt to hurt the McCain-Palin team. Every possible part of the reporting of the Obama
flaws, dangers, and ineptitudes to our Country are swept under the carpet and never see the light of day.
Why are all the news media, Hollywood types, bloodthirsty politicians, and all the countries that hate America in collusion?
Edward R. Murrow was a solid journalist who would be shocked at what passes for what used to be unbiased reporting in his time. The print, TV(fairly new in his time),radio, supermarket magazines, and the new well recognized celebrities all are joined at the hip for a campiagn built on "Change and Hope". As he would tell us to our faces, change for the sake of change and "Hope" that it works is not now, or back then, a believable reason to vote for a flim flam articulate snake oil politician. Mr. Murrow would have checked this out very closely.
The McCain-Palin ticket, as well as their families have done very well in holding their own. Their campaign is being outspent by a three to one margin by the O campaign war chests. The McCain-Palin team, as well as their families, are the target of thousands of media reporters all sent by the corporate media organizations to attempt to find any dirt, turn it into mud with and by way of distortion, into gold in their media attacks on two of our own whose faults are that they adhere to high moral values and standards and believe in God and Country.
These are values that should be taught to kids by responsible parents and grandparents. It is far too easy for parents to be uninformed and turn a blind eye as they fall into the trap of the “change and hope” mentality being spooned fed into their daily and nightly routines by the never-ending sponsorship of the O campaign rock star celebrity status and the news media 24/7 unpaid surrogates.
Change for the sake of change and hope that it will work is not any kind of a good strategy for our Country.