Mr. Rogers Defends PBS

by **exploited** » Sat Oct 06, 2012 8:16 am

Regardless of where you stand on the whole PBS thing, anybody who watches this has to agree it was a great speech, and very, very touching. I'm not usually a sucker for touchy-feely BS like this, but for some reason, this struck a chord. This is an old video of Mr. Rogers defending funding for educational broadcasting. He doesn't make serious political points, or talk about ideology, he simply presents his point of view, and the result is a nostalgia-inducing look at a simpler time.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/10/0 ... n-Congress

These days, if a man gave such simple, subjective testimony in front of Congress, he'd be dismissed as a lunatic. And that is too bad.

I don't really have much to say beyond that, just wanted to share this with you all.

by **Revenant** » Sat Oct 06, 2012 8:52 am

Mr. Rogers creeps me the f**k out.

by **Clarino** » Sat Oct 06, 2012 8:57 am

That's brilliant. The Chairman at the beginning seems like a real arsehole, not in the least interested in what the man has to say, and looking for cheap laughs. But at the end he's convinced by the power of the man's argument. I wonder if there are any congressmen on the committee in 2012 that will be so moved.

by **Revenant** » Sat Oct 06, 2012 9:04 am

Being moved by emotional drivel is for saps.

by **OGPhilly** » Sat Oct 06, 2012 9:28 am

What's interesting about that video isn't that it's "moving" or whatever. It's that the comittee chairman actually listened to what he had to say and seemed to change his mind. All the hearings and endless hours of testimony these days seem a bit pointless because everyone already has their mind made up beforehand and nobody changes their opinion cause of these hearings.

by **exploited** » Sat Oct 06, 2012 9:44 am

I agree Philly. The idea of being swayed by something as simple as a man's love for children seems crazy these days. Revenant's statements are proof of that: the whole idea of emotion being considered a valid reason for believing something is old school. But after watching this, I wonder if that is a good thing. Logic is a powerful and important force, but I wonder if logic without an emotional basis is nothing more than callousness and coldness...