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FOX

The Sky’s Falling

July 15, 2021 by Jim Leave a Comment

The national media push a highly addictive drug called paranoia. If one wants to get a reliable weather forecast or find out if a local kitten is not lost, local T.V. and regional newspapers are the best source. But if we are in need of a rush brought on by fear of catastrophe or schadenfreude, we flip the remote incessantly between CNN and FOX. CBS, NBC and ABC are available but boring. PBS can be interesting but is about as exciting as a library. No, if we want cataclysm or the satisfaction of seeing the rich and powerful fail, we must have cable. You might wonder about MSNBC but we can only take so much self-indulgent cynicism.

Gentle Reader, if you were awake, as I was at 4:00 a.m. staring at the peach-colored ceiling and wondering if I should use the restroom again or make a cup of coffee, you may have defaulted to cable T.V. That is where I saw the bobbleheads of CNN and FOX fervently seeking our advertising eyeballs by continually ratcheting up the partisan rhetoric. In between the machine gun fire of five minutes of adds were crammed five-minute exhortations camouflaged as news. Today, as usual, CNN was frothing about Donald Trump and FOX was exorcised about Cuba and communism, which FOX posited was one and the same.

CNN was giddy with the no-so-breaking story that former President Trump was unhappy about the last election, so much so that General Mark Milley, Trump’s choice for Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the military, was concerned about a peaceful transfer of power. FOX apparently either did not know who Milley was or did not care. FOX made no mention of this “bombshell” possibility. FOX was excitedly showing Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ campaign coozies which attacked Anthony Fauci as FOX repeatedly rolled film of protests in Cuba. CNN did not take note of Cuba nor communism as its commentators were busy extolling the virtues of giving away trillions of dollars of borrowed taxpayer money.

What came through quite clearly, even as I dozed in and out while desperately seeking facts hidden among the rushes of opinion, was that CNN and FOX both believed that Chicken Little was correct. Each of their favorite evil acorns that fall upon us is a harbinger of the sky’s collapse upon America. We must eliminate all vestiges of Trumpism, and now DeSantisism too, along with President Biden and any federal help for poor people. Of course, we can do this by buying the products hawked among the invective spewed by the incredulous news anchors. Just as grade school teachers emphasizing that we children should obey the crossing guards, cable news claims it is our best source for gospel; critical analysis is just too much trouble and no fun besides. Most importantly, run out and buy more stuff before prices rise again.

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Filed Under: America, Elections, Gavel Gamut, Military, News Media, Personal Fun, Presidential Campaign, United States, Weather Tagged With: ABC, CBS, Chicken Little, CNN, communism, Cuba, Donald Trump, FOX, General Mark Milley, Gentle Reader, James M. Redwine, Jim Redwine, MSNBC, national news media, NBC, paranoia, PBS, President Biden, Ron DeSantis, the sky is falling

The Constitutional Convention and Cable News

September 29, 2017 by Jim 1 Comment

The Constitutional Convention was held in Philadelphia in 1787. The delegates kept the proceedings secret to avoid, “licentious publications of their proceedings.” James Madison, the Father of the Constitution, stated that no Constitution would have ever been adopted if the debates had been public. Remarkably, for four months the secrecy was maintained.

Can you imagine the motives CNN, FOX and MSNBC would have projected upon George Washington, et. al.? No delegate would have escaped the allegations of lying or even treason to the Revolution.

But inside the Convention the fifty-five delegates, half of whom were lawyers, debated the most volatile issues of the day. Slavery, whether we would have one-man-one-vote or an electoral college, large states versus small states, foreign attachments, the establishment of courts, provision for national defense and many others. How did they do it?

Of course, I do not know. However, I am pretty sure no one was called a liar for stating his views and no one was ascribed venal motives. Most likely George Washington as the presiding officer of the Convention made sure each delegate had an opportunity to present his views and everyone else had an opportunity to respond.

Maybe it is because I am a judge and once practiced law but it seems likely to me the Constitutional Convention proceeded much as a court case. First an issue would be brought up, States’ Rights for example, then each delegate who wished to would state his position. Then, after extensive but civilized debate a vote would be taken.

This time honored approach to resolving controversies has served the legal system and America well for over two hundred years. First define the issues for resolution, a criminal trial for example, then allow each side to fully present their views without threats or name-calling.

I humbly suggest this same respectful approach will work in every conversation from government to individuals. Shouting down or using force to prevent those one disagrees with from speaking will not result in the kind of result we achieved in 1787.

As I was writing this column I received an email and an attachment from my friend Jerry Wade of New Harmony, Indiana who used to live in New York City and who still subscribes to the New York Times.

Jerry must have been really bored recently because he has obviously been following my column about our country’s increasingly uncivil discourse. Jerry sent me an article by Bret Stephens that appeared as an opinion editorial in The Times. It contained an excellent analysis of the current climate surrounding “Freedom of Speech”, a.k.a., “If you don’t agree with me, you must be crazy!”

I will share a small portion of Stephens’ article with you.

“We disagree about racial issues, bathroom policy, health care laws and, of course, the 45th president. We express our disagreements in radio and cable rants in ways that are increasingly virulent; street and campus protests that are increasingly violent; and personal conversations that are increasingly embittering.”

Stephens does suggest a solution:

“… [T]o disagree well you must first understand well. You have to read deeply, listen carefully, watch closely. You need to grant your adversary moral respect; give him the intellectual benefit of doubt; have sympathy for his motives and participate empathically with his line of reasoning. And you need to allow for the possibility that you might yet be persuaded of what he has to say.”

In other words, to have productive intellectual discourse we have to first concentrate on being civil.

 

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Filed Under: America, Democracy, Gavel Gamut, Judicial, Language, Law, News Media, Slavery Tagged With: civilized debate, CNN, Constitutional Convention, electoral college, establishment of courts, Father of the Constitution, fifty-five delegates, foreign attachments, FOX, George Washington, issue for resolution, James M. Redwine, James Madison, Jim Redwine, large state versus small state, lawyers, legal system, licentious publications, MSNBC, one-man-one-vote, Philadelphia, present views without threat or name-calling, provision for national defense, Revolution, slavery, States' Rights

Democracy Versus Food Fights

October 14, 2016 by Jim Leave a Comment

Early voting is a good thing. Last week I walked into the Posey County Courthouse on my way to work, stopped by the Election Office and voted. It took about five minutes. Posey County Clerk Betty Postletheweight and her friendly staff along with the Election Board made the process easy. It felt good to participate. It made me appreciate all the people who are willing to give of their time, talent and resources to help make this country work. Regardless of the election results there are no losers. We all win thanks to all those who help ensure the citizens remain in control of the government.

Such important but often unrecognized functions as who repairs the roads or runs the schools or patrols our neighborhoods go on without dramatics thanks to millions of public spirited Americans. Thanks to all who perform the tasks and a special thank you to those who are willing to serve but who do not win the opportunity. At the local level we are blessed to experience democracy put to use. On the other hand, when I fall prey to my weakness for schadenfreude and turn on the national cable news networks to see and hear how the presidential race is going I am reminded of beer-fueled sports fans engaged in a food fight.

It may be correct that Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are not Mother Teresa and Mohandas Gandhi. However, CNN, MSNBC and FOX’s portrayals of them as America’s Medicis seems a little strained. Is it not possible they, just as many at the local level, simply want to serve? Goodness knows neither of them needs a job.

When I watch the national media question either The Donald or The Hillary it usually sounds something like the following faux debate:

News anchor – “Secretary Clinton/Mr. Trump, What is your plan to fight ISIS?”

Secretary Clinton/Mr. Trump – “If elected I will … “

News anchor – “Stop! Quit trying to avoid the all-important issue of your lack of character. Explain to the American people why you have the morals of an alley cat and the trustworthiness of a rattlesnake?”

I do not know Secretary Clinton or Mr. Trump. But my guess is they both have thoughts on how we should address such non-sexy matters as war, the economy and health-care. Unfortunately, neither candidate is allowed to ever complete an exposition of any of their positions without being interrupted by a news anchor who wishes to raise ratings with issues only the Kardashians understand.

There is one more presidential debate. Is there any chance the referee will simply let the players play the game?

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Filed Under: America, Democracy, Gavel Gamut, Posey County, Presidential Campaign Tagged With: CNN, Donald Trump, early voting, Election Board, Election Office, FOX, Hillary Clinton, James M. Redwine, Jim Redwine, Medicis, MSNBC, national media, news anchor, Posey County Clerk Betty Postletheweight, Posey County Courthouse, presidential race, schadenfreude

© 2022 James M. Redwine

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