Vol.
1 No. 9 -- December 14, 2007
Who is to Judge?
I am pretty certain that two of my all-time
favorite baseball players, Brooks
Robinson and Cal
Ripken, did not use steroids or other performance-enhancing drugs -- unless, of course,
aspirin fits into that latter category. (Come to think of it, both men
could have benefited from the use of Rogaine.)
Both men, rightfully, are in baseball's Hall of Fame. However, in the wake of yesterday's release of the Mitchell Report, a 20-month investigation into the use of illegal
substances in MLB, some sportswriters
are questioning whether people named in the report should be enshrined
in Cooperstown. Of course, the biggest names in the Mitchell Report
are Barry Bonds and Roger
Clemens, two of the greatest in their sport of all-time. I haven't
yet decided for myself on whether the use of performance-enhancing substances
should disqualify these or other players for entrance into the Hall.
In fact, I don't know for a fact that either man did what has been suggested.
The activities of which they are accused constitute a violation of federal
law. And isn't a court of law the best place to make these kinds of
judgments? If Clemens and Bonds broke the law, indict them. (Bonds has
already been indicted, but not for steroid use. He has been indicted
for lying about steroid use.) And what about Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa, who are widely suspected of steroid use but were not
named in the Mitchell Report? The irony is that baseball writers -- a group with a long history of questionable
ethics -- get to decide whether a player is "clean" enough
to go to Cooperstown. These are the same folks who, over the years,
have sold their souls for a seat in a press box. Let's be real, take
a breath, and withhold judgment until we know all of the facts. That
especially holds true for the sanctimonious sportswriting scribes who,
in my judgment, should clean their own houses first.
That's it for now. Fear the Turtle.
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Vol.
1 No. 8 -- November 29, 2007
"Blow Dry" Journalism
Don't you love it when mainstream media
try to be hip? CNN has attempted to capitalize on the social
media movement with its YouTube presidential debates. This is where
everyday folks like you and me get our 15 seconds of fame and ask questions
of the candidates. It is a supposed to be a form of populist democracy.
The democrats were featured in a debate earlier this year. It was the
republicans' turn last night. However, last night's debate showed how
lame this idea really is. People may be submitting questions, but CNN
is still the gatekeeper by selecting which ones are broadcast. Perhaps
last night's fiasco makes a case for media bias. Or maybe it brings
CNN's news judgment into question. Who decided to broadcast such asinine
questions? But is ANYONE discussing gays
in the military or the confederate flag in this election? Does CNN really think republicans
are all backwoods boobs waiting for the South to rise again? How about
some serious question on the REAL issues? And then there's Anderson
Cooper -- whom I affectionately call "Blow Dry" because
his haircut is the only thing of substance he can claim. He says he
didn't realize that the retired general who raised the gays in the military
issue during the debate is a co-chair of one of Hillary Clinton's campaign steering committees.
That means that either (A) Blow Dry is a crappy journalist who didn't
do his homework, or (B) Blow Dry is a liar. Either way, his shaky credibility
has taken another hit. If you want a populist debate, do one like the
Bush-Kerry debate in 2004, when the Commission on Presidential Debates brought in a carefully screened
cross-section of citizens to ask questions. A presidential election
is too damned important to leave to the whims of Blow Dry journalism.
That's it for now. Fear the Turtle.
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Vol.
1 No. 7 -- November 16, 2007
To Where You Are
In its song "Sister Golden Hair," the group America has a lyric that
is lately fitting of this blog. It goes: "I've been one poor correspondent.
I've been too too hard to find. But it doesn't mean you ain't been on
my mind." It has been a couple of weeks since I have posted. There
are a variety of reasons. However, it mostly comes down to two reasons:
I am way too busy preparing for publication of the fourth edition of
Public
Relations: A Values-Driven Approach, a public relations textbook
I have written with Chuck Marsh. I also haven't had a lot to say -- at least not a lot
I am prepared to share. In this space, I have not hidden the fact that
I am still in mourning over the death of my wife last March. It is a
painful experience -- much of it too personal to share. I also want
to avoid turning this blog into some maudlin narrative. I will note,
however, that I had another experience this week in the futility of
managing my grief (see my October 28, 2007, entry). Quite by accident,
I heard Josh Groban's "To
Where You Are" in its entirety for the first time. I wasn't
prepared for the power, beauty and truth of the song. However, I am
grateful to now have that song in my life. It is an expression of emotion
that I have been unable to articulate. And it is at times such as these
that I am grateful for the talented people who can reach in and soothe
troubled souls.
That's it for now. Fear the Turtle.
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Vol.
1 No. 6 -- November 5, 2007
Minister of Hate
Last week, a
jury in Maryland awarded $11 million in damages to the family of
a Marine killed in Iraq whose funeral had been picketed by followers
of fundamentalist Fred Phelps of Topeka. Phelps and members of his congregation believe each death of a soldier in Iraq is punishment
for America's tolerance of homosexuality. After the verdict, Phelps
smugly said said it would take about "five minutes" to get
the verdict reversed. His confidence comes from the First
Amendment of the United States Constitution which guarantees freedom
of religion and freedom of expression. But hold on, Freddy boy. You
may be surprised to learn that there are limits to free speech. In Near
versus Minnesota, Chief Justice Hughes wrote in the majority
opinion, "No one would question but that a government might prevent
actual obstruction to its recruiting service or the publication of the
sailing dates of transports or the number and location of troops. On
similar grounds, the primary requirements of decency may be enforced
against obscene publications. The security of the community life may
be protected against incitements to acts of violence and the overthrow
by force of orderly government." I hope that the appellate courts
will see Phelps' despicable behavior in much the same light -- as a
provocative act that threatens to evoke a violent reaction. I believe
that most free speech is self-regulating. After all, it wasn't the government
that fired the moronic Don
Imus. It was CBS. But the courts have consistently said that not
every location and situation are open to unfettered expression. However,
even if the courts don't rein in this misguided minister of hate, Phelps
will continue to undermine his own cause. People may sometimes have
difficulty recognizing evil. But Phelps has given it a face.
That's it for now. Fear the Turtle.
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Vol.
1 No. 5 -- October 28, 2007
Managing Grief
I have been widowed for a little more
than seven months. I suppose I am like a lot of people who have lost
a spouse - I have tried to manage my grief.
Sometimes I am successful. If I am expecting something to remind me
of my loss -- such as an anniversary, a particular situation, or willingly
playing a song with personal significance -- I am able to steel myself
against my deep well of emotions. However, there are also times I am
blindsided and my grief winds up managing me. That happened last night
on YouTube, when by the vagaries of Web surfing, I came across a classic
clip from the Tonight
Show with Johnny Carson, the one where the late Jimmy Stewart read a humorous and touching
tribute to a dog named Bo. Watching Stewart relive his pain reminded
me of my pain. And the tears began to flow. While grief may be a common
emotion we all experience from time to time, it is, nevertheless, an
uncommon experience that I suppose I was foolish enough to believe that
I could possibly manage. I guess my best hope is that my grief and I
learn, at least, to coexist.
That's it for now. Fear the Turtle.
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Vol.
1 No. 4 -- October 21, 2007
All Heat, No Light
An old friend is up to her old tricks. Janet Murguia, one-time KU vice chancellor for communications, is
now the executive director of LaRaza,
a Hispanic advocacy organization. The group has announced that it is
pulling its 2009 convention from Kansas City, Missouri, because of the
mayor's recent appointment of a member of the Minutemen to the city's parks board. The Minutemen oppose illegal immigration
and have conducted armed patrols along the Mexican border. Armed patrols
are not my idea of solving the immigration problem, but I understand
the group's frustration. And while I respect LaRaza's right to dissent,
its hysterical support of the alledged right of foreign nationals to
break federal laws doesn't do much to advance the debate, either. But
let's have a little perspective here: The K.C. Parks Board isn't exactly
the center of power in the universe. This is just another mindless political
gesture for which Murguia is well known. This is par for the course
for her - she was a hopelessly clueless administrator at KU who loved
nothing more than to hear the sound of her own voice. It is this kind
of inspired leadership from Murguia, Al Gore's deputy campaign manager
in 2000, which helped Earth Tone Al snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.
Immigration is a serious issue that requires serious discussion among
serious people. Step off the stage, Janet.
That's it for now. Fear the Turtle.
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Vol.
1 No. 3 -- October 12, 2007
Earth Tone Al - Man of Peace?
Let's see if I got this
straight - Al Gore won the Nobel Peace
Prize for making a movie -- a glorified PowerPoint presentation that, according to a British
judge who has no political ax to grind, is filled with inaccuracies
and is little more than a political manifesto? Let's look at some notable
American politicos who received the Peace Prize. Teddy
Roosevelt got his for negotiating an end to a war. So did Henry
Kissinger. The same is true, in a fashion, for Jimmy Carter. And what did Al do? He rode a political wave he did
not initiate, claimed an Oscar he did not deserve, and has been honored
for a "peace" he has not achieved. If Al deserves a Peace
Prize for his environmental activism, what about giving one to Rachel
Carson, Greenpeace,
Woodsy Owl or Smokey
the Bear? Politics aside, this decision doesn't make any sense.
It seems as if the man whose greatest claim to fame was an election
he didn't win can now boast an honor he didn't earn.
That's it for now. Fear
the Turtle.
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