The Gap Widens

Ferguson, MO (NY Daily News)

The immediate aftermath of last night's grand jury decision not to indict Ferguson, Missouri police offer Darren Wilson was worse than what took place in August after Wilson shot and killed Michael Brown.   It played out as a worst case scenario live on cable TV networks, with police cars attacked and rioters fanning out into the streets as if on cue.   Then came the looting and burning of local businesses already barely hanging on, including the store where Brown was videotaped committing a strong arm robbery just ten minutes before his death.   There were the tearful images of a victim's family distraught over officer Wilson going unpunished as crowds ignored their pleas for calm.   Cable news viewers generally reinforced their own opinions based on what network they watched.   Pundits expounded, but everyone seemed to agree that things are not getting better.   Not a moment too soon, President Obama correctly said that Ferguson's problems are America's problems.

While I don't see how the grand jury could have avoided an indictment and resulting manslaughter charges, I respect the decision.   That being said, we are reminded how much work needs to be done to deal with America's racial divide.   White America just wishes blacks would "behave" while former New York Mayor Giuliani rationalizes there are so many white policemen in predominantly African American places like Ferguson because blacks commit most murders.   The fact remains: Ferguson's problems and the anger and hopelessness in many African American urban enclaves will continue long after the news cameras move on.   A violent few will always seize the opportunity to burn down neighborhoods that can least afford to recover.   Look at the extreme situation in Gaza.   Are there some similarities?   The legitimate attitude of powerlessness in the community at large is what opens the door for the few to exploit the many.   People still have to live in these troubled neighborhoods.

Best Ad Yet

We may never see this Christmas commercial stateside here on TV, but this ad for Sainsbury's, a supermarket chain in the United Kingdom, has gone viral on the net.   It depicts a likely scene from an actual event that took place 100 years ago,   It was the first Christmas of World War I, when an unofficial truce was observed between Allied and German combatants.   Some exchanged greetings, small gifts and played soccer.   I found it to be very tastefully done, but the message has not been without its critics.   A century later, it seems as if the path toward big, bloody conflict continues unabated.   This should serve as a timely reminder of the more positive similarities we share, even though the warring leaders would encourage none of this fraternization and the images of enemies coming together grew more scarce as the war claimed more and more young lives.   Maybe citizens of another land or culture really do want many of the same things we want.   This event would at least point to that possibility.    Watch it above and decide for yourself.      

Charity Fun Stuff

The Hall Communicators - Trivia Champs!

There are many people who swing into action to benefit a host of charities without being connected with a media outlet.   I find that easier to accomplish when a radio company I'm associated with is involved in the community.    I've missed some of that as a radio part-timer, but I was happy to drop by a couple of times last week to visit the WCTY crew at the two-day Big Y Food Drive in Norwich as area listeners did their part to load up a truck to benefit the TVCCA and Gemma Moran United Way of Southeastern Connecticut Labor Food Bank.   I can't say I left hungry either.   

Also last Friday, many of my fellow Hall Communications people from WCTY/WNLC/WKNL/WICH/WILI took part in a Team Trivia Challenge to benefit Madonna Place.   That was my first go round at that packed annual event in the Bozrah Moose Lodge.   I like to think my history and geography knowledge are what got us to first place, but I was a lot less confident for sports, Disney and a few other categories.   Radio is often a solitary occupation, so it was nice to have a rare moment to socialize with co-workers away from work.   Speaking of work, I've concluded I should take the next ten days away from broadcasting except for some time with my direct mail advertising business.   My schedule has been pretty ambitious on five stations, and it can get a bit consuming... or it can be my nature to get too consumed in it.    Been there; done that; got the T-shirt(s).

Own It

Nobody expected these midterm elections to be good for Democrats.   While it is tempting to break out the possible gloom and doom scenarios for the next two years about Republican majority rule in both houses of Congress, this should also be a time for serious introspection among liberals nationwide.    I know many left of center people are reluctant to even use the "L" word, lest we alienate someone in the center or allow conservatives to use that politically dirty word against us.   That's part of the problem.   Liberals have allowed right wingers to define them as socialist bleeding hearts since the Reagan era.   The Tea Party Republican narrative about the Obama administration is totally false, yet Democrats look the other way or play defense.   In Kentucky, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell had a serious challenge from Democrat Alison Lundergan Grimes.   That fizzled when Grimes refused to admit that she even voted for Obama based on the President's poor 2012 election performance in Kentucky, even though Obamacare has worked pretty well there.   When you're that worried about an out of context quote being repeated in McConnell political ads, people see right through that. 

This is the frustrating thing to a self-admitted liberal Democrat like myself. Democrats and liberals too often fail to own what we truly stand for.   The other side can champion all the corporate welfare they want while blocking minimum wage increases for people forced to stay in low-wage service jobs longer than they used to.   They can lie about President Obama's alleged socialist (even communist) economics.   Let them deny the most basic tenets of science.   They can praise President Putin's "leadership".   Then there's our unsecured southern border that lets in record numbers of illegals.   The gun lobby lies about gun confiscation while the GOP sells it with no questions asked.  It's all nonsense, yet Democrats in red, purple and even blue states play down their Obama connection, which also happens to be their ideology.   I might add that Connecticut Democrats failed to own up to the accomplishments of the Malloy administration, allowing a nasty, personal replay of the 2010 governor's race.   If you think like some detached ivory tower type liberal who is disappointed in the "change" promised by Obama, please wake up and realize where we are now compared to 2008.   The GOP still won't, since they're under no pressure to.