by- Lydia Cornell @ 5:40 AM PDT
Lydia Cornell
The massacre at Virginia Tech is one of the most tragic reminders of how much our nation needs healing, on every level. We should be more responsible in conveying values beyond the quick satisfaction of material needs. The constant glorification of violence through the gun culture, video games, news broadcasts showing incessant bloodshed, hatred, torture and bullying tactics on shows like “24”… yes, the gunman was deranged, but there is something deeper going on in our American Dream.
On another note… here is a conversation I had on my blog with Tall Texan:
Tall Texan said: “I think it is self-evident that popular or non-controversial speech is not in danger of being squelched. It’s the expression controversial or unpopular ideas that need protection.
For the last couple of years, Imus was pretty much a Liberal, but I am defending him because all of us (or, at least most of us) are big boys and big girls, and we are intelligent enough to decide what ideas we agree with or don’t agree with. Even if you say that a radio host is lying, such as Glenn Beck, there are enough voices on the other side to expose the lie.
We don’t need the government telling us what ideas we can talk about.
Conservative radio has been very successful, but now there are Liberal voices, such as those heard on Air America, which can rebut or refute the ideas they disagree with. Getting the government involved is a recipe for disaster. If Beck or Limbaugh lies, or spins something to make a Conservative point, there are hundreds of radio voices, and millions of bloggers to help people look at things with another perspective.
And bringing back the “Fairness Doctrine” is an arbitrary intrusion into right of Americans to free speech. Just think of it: some host has on a Nazi death camp survivor for two hours. With the Fairness Doctrine, that station would be required to air the views of Neo-Nazis who will tell us that Hitler didn’t kill six million Jews in concentration camps.”
Lydia Cornell said…
TT – Air America is the ONLY progressive terrestrial radio station with any viewpoint to combat the lies Ingraham, Hannity, Moortz, O’Reilly, Limbaugh, Beck, Larry Elder, Al Rantell, spew…
Clear Channel owned over 700 stations that ONLY spewed right-wing talk to the exclusion of any other point of view for years and years. Only now are they “allowing” a very milk-toast version of Progressive talk (Mr. K is very light-weight.) Ed Schulz is a blue dog Democrat, a Midwest values guy who hunts and is a man’s man. He is wonderful, but doesn’t have the reach and doesn’t have his own TV talk show.
You may think we have a voice, because you’re on the blogs, but in the MSM, there is a tiny Progressive presence: Keith Olbermann, Bill Maher and John Stewart/Colbert. Comedy Central, HBO and MSNBC are still not ABC, NBC and CBS.
The “View” is the first mainstream daytime talk show that finally has Rosie on, but she’s not representative of all the brilliant deep thinkers like Paul Waldman — who should have his own show.
We are striving to get the truth out there, but like I said, it seems to be getting out there simply because the propaganda networks can’t ignore the truth. Sorry, but the truth has a liberal bias.
Doug Basham had a great point:
If we are lying, and the media is “liberal” then why doesn’t FOX network show all the great and wonderful things going on in Iraq? Since they have their own network and cameras and embedded reporters — why aren’t they reporting all the great things going on in Rove’s office, or in Gonzales’ office — or in the middle east?
Instead of decrying “liberal media” show us an alternative media picture.
They can’t because the TRUTH has a liberal bias. (Liberal means “bounteous, generous, freedom loving, democratic.)
Tall Texan, you asked about my radio co-host Doug Basham’s opinion of the Imus affair. Please go listen in the archives of our show Basham and Cornell.
Both Doug and I believe the Imus incident was media-created blitz, and that Glenn Beck, Michael Savage, Rush Limbaugh are much worse because they LIE on a daily basis. Beck and Savage engage in “extermination speak” as well.
I believe that GE and Proctor & Gamble pulled Imus’ ads, then there was a ripple effect from employees who worked for NBC, GE, etc… but ultimately I believe Imus lost his gig because the right wing wanted him off the air. He was too liberal for them. If they hadn’t wanted to get rid of him because of his anti-war stance or age, he wouldn’t be gone.
Did you see the 60 minutes report? Mike Wallace mentioned that Imus had said the “n” word in the car ten years ago after an interview, saying it’s Bernard McGuirk’s job to do “n” jokes.
Maybe insiders knew more than we know about Imus’ casual use of epithets against ALL people. Apparently no one was safe from Imus’ name-calling. I guess we just got tired of it, and he’s being used as an example.
Now, the dialogue should begin and stay open: no more sexist hate speak first. The rap industry must clean up its act. Michael Savage and Glenn Beck should be fired for actual “extermination speak.”
The truth comes from within, from God. It will resonate with people because it is the truth. In totalitarian governments the people always know the truth, it rises in their hearts. The truth doesn’t really need anyone to fight for it. It comes naturally.
You can only keep it out of your heart for so long.
Please click on the link in the archives and listen to our show Basham and Cornell. We did a half hour on Imus with Media Matters. And Congressman Charlie Rangel is amazing!
Good Morning Everyone!
Lydia, you brought up some very good points in your article. Why has Limbaugh, Beck, Coulter, Hannity, et al… gotten away with their hate spewing for so many years?
Yet, Imus was fired and the others are still working?
If this is the new rule, then all must follow it or it means nothing!
P.S.
Lydia, I loved your talk show last Saturday!
Folks, if you’re not listening..you’re missing a great program every Saturday morning! 😉
If we could only tell the difference between expressing divergent points of views and resorting to vulgar, derogatory and racist remarks made for shock value, our liberties would not seem as threatened. Imus could have said the Rutgers basketball team was the worst he had ever seen (opinion) as opposed to calling them “nappy headed ho’s” (bigotry).
It is the mediocrity of thought and speech what threatens this society. The audacity is no longer in the content of an idea, but in the callous, cheap verbalization of it. It was mediocrity of thought what made Shabbaz host disguise mockery as an interview, and what made him respond by calling her a “political prostitute”.
Hi everyone
Just ckg out the blog – am finally back home! Will check in a bit later!
Imus could have said the Rutgers basketball team was the worst he had ever seen (opinion) as opposed to calling them “nappy headed ho’s” (bigotry).
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Morty:
Thank you for those words of wisdom! So true!
Basheert:
Good to see you back! I hope you had a nice vacation… 🙂
Thank you Suzie-Q, for letting me spew. You have a great blog and you are doing a public service: educating people.
Luv,
Lyd
Lydia:
Thank you and it’s great to have you here! 🙂
You’re doing a great service to our country as well, via your website, blog and your radio show. The more people that are aware of the issues in this country…the better off our society will be, as a whole!
Thank you Lydia!
Lydia, a wonderful post. It dove-tails with mine on the subject. May our culture someday see beyond hate and violence.
May our culture someday see beyond hate and violence.
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Hi Tomcat!
Amen to that!