| Power of Repetition | for everyone |
On inauguration night, I was fortunate to hear (former) Senator George Mitchell speak. I was not particularly looking forward to the event because I associated him with his most recent job (the baseball steroid report about which I cared not all that much).
I was pleasantly surprised and we even got a "scoop" about his appointment (today, 1/21) as Middle East peace envoy. Intelligent, self-effacing, doesn't take himself too seriously, but his tasks very seriously. Almost gives me hope for peace in the Middle East. Almost.
But what struck me most was something that seems so obvious now that he brought it up, but something I never really thought about, perhaps because I actively avoid the news channels and talking heads -- the power of repetition. What news media brings us is not news as much as the repetition of the same news, over and over, with whatever particular spin or bias the individual reporters/news organizations may have, thus magnifying insignificant stories way out of proportion and polarizing positions on important stories to the point that there's no room for compromise or middle ground.
Case in point: President Obama's (I do like the sound of that) choice of Rick Warren to deliver the invocation at his inauguration. The "controversy" over his selection was a nothing-burger. While I thought Warren rambled on a little long, his prayer was just a prayer. I wonder what kind of scrutiny the other "prayers" (people, not words) in the various ceremonies were under, whether they held personal, or even public, positions with which the new president (and I) disagree. Remember, this from someone who is essentially a heathen. Sadly, I'm sure we can look forward to more of the same on issues both inconsequential and of real substance, thus potentially sabotaging Obama's sincere (I believe) desire to govern by consensus.
At the risk of solidifying my membership in the "old guys" club by bemoaning the good old days, Senator Mitchell talked about his relationship with Bob Dole when Dole was Senate Minority Leader and Mitchell was Senate Majority Leader. "We disagreed on almost everything, but never, in public or private, had a cross word to say to or about each other." I miss the days when Senators Eagleton and Danforth both represented Missouri, agreeing seldom, but respecting always.
I am hopeful, if not optimistic, that President Obama can push us back in that direction. It is up to us, as citizens, to do whatever we can to help that process.
Bill Berndt wrote on Jan 21, '09
ReplyDeleteFrom your brother (I add that because I don't know if this will submit anonymously due to my not being registered on this site):
Seeing as our (note I say "our" and not "your" which was a courtesy never granted by the left to George Bush) new president was unable to reciprocate the graciousness with which he was treated by the Bushes during the transition, to wit not even thanking Mr. Bush for his service and for keeping us safe for over seven years following 9/11 and making some silly inference that Bush had in some way attacked science (don't get me started on human rights and Gitmo, whose occupants will soon be running free all over our country, hopefully shacking up at Bill Ayers' house), and seeing as he threw Jeremiah Wright under the bus, only to replace him with Rev. Joseph Lowery and his oh-so-unifying "prayer" which mysteriously is getting zero coverage or comment in the mainstream media, is there any reason to believe that Mr. Obama will have any influence with bomb-throwers like Pelosi and Reid? Dream on.
Bill....
DeleteAnd, as a point of information, the registration process was a pain in my ass.
Bob Berndt wrote on Jan 22, '09
Delete"I thank President Bush for his service to our nation...
(APPLAUSE)
... as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition."
--Opening lines of inaugural address. With the exception of Reagan, who was a little more effusive in his praise of the transition, pretty standard fare from previous inaugural addresses.
Although as a candidate Obama publicly expressed his desire to close the detention facility, his transition team stressed this week that the president-elect has not assembled his national security and legal team and that no decisions have been made "about where and how to try the detainees," Denis McDonough, an Obama foreign policy adviser, said in a statement issued Monday.
During the campaign, Obama, while eschewing details, appeared to favor federal prosecution of terrorism suspects. "It's time to better protect the American people and our values by bringing swift and sure justice to terrorists through our courts and our Uniform Code of Military Justice," Obama said in August, after the completion of the first trial at Guantanamo Bay, which resulted in a relatively mild sentence for Osama bin Laden's driver.
--Washington Post, 11/12/08.
I'd suggest it's premature that Obama is proposing a "Catch and Release" for prisoners at Guantanamo. In fact, I'm sure I've heard him say something about at least some of those prisoners being legitimate threats, but I don't feel like searching for the exact evidence or phrasing.
As of 11/29/12 Guantanmo is still open.
DeleteRhett Oldham wrote on Jan 22, '09
ReplyDeleteBob,
Rick Warren's "Purpose Driven Life" may be one of the most controversial religious books in my generation. Churches are being transformed from places of worship to a social gathering place that advocates removing all forms of religious expression from the physical alter. Very interesting stuff on how churches are being transformed.
If you ask any conservative evangelical about Rick Warren they will say he is to liberal. The mainstream media is coining him too conservative due to his stance on Prop 8 in California.