The American Spectator

Reader Mail

Deroy Murdock Weighs In

2.23.07 @ 12:01AM

(Page 3 of 4)

I totally disagreed with the way the President was running the war, did not think he was really fighting to win. Can't win a PC war and when I was asked in a poll if I agreed with what Bush was doing I had to answer NO. Did not have the option to say it should be fought HARDER. So when the Dems talk about Americans are against the war that does not tell the whole story.
-- Elaine Kyle

Wouldn't the Supreme Court have something to say about this?
-- Annette Cwik

SEX ED
Re: Carol Platt Liebau's See No Evil...Unless!:

Regarding Carol Platt Liebau's article "See No Evil … Unless!", I offer another example of selective television impact. The National Organization of Women recently took to task the executive producers of Desperate Housewives for their January 14, 2007, episode entitled "Not While I'm Around." In a letter dated January 30, 2007, NOW stated, in part:

The episode included erroneous and, at times, dangerous information, leading your audience to wrongly believe that:

* Condoms are ineffective;

* Young people need parental permission to obtain birth control pills, and

* Parents can obtain private, confidential sexual health information about their teenager if they call the teen's health care provider.

In a recent study, teens ranked the media as one of the top four sources from which they learn about sex and sexual health. That is to say, that when it comes to teens and sex, young people are listening to what you, the producers of a very popular television show, have to say.

The NOW letter then proceeded to give the information it deemed necessary to correct this "erroneous and, at times, dangerous information." The letter ended with:

"Desperate Housewives is a wildly successful show. We congratulate you on your success to date and hope that you will continue to entertain your audiences while recognizing the great responsibility and power you have to educate as well."

I guess that means that the folks at NOW are concerned when it comes to television's influence as related to sex … they want to be sure teens know they can (and should) have sex whenever and with whomever they wish without the need to worry about consequences or their parents' wishes.
-- Elaine Nash
Anderson, South Carolina
P.S. The full text of the letter from NOW can be seen here (pdf).

There has been plenty of talk about the torture shown on 24 but not a single mention of the nuclear blast that killed 12,000 people in the same show, nor the four additional weapons that the terrorists have and are prepared to use. It takes moral blindness and rank hypocrisy of the worst sort to condemn one and not even mention the other. Acts of evil are not the same, some are much more deadly than others. Jack Bauer tortures the bad guys because it is an imperfect world and he is trying to prevent murdering criminals from killing thousands of innocent people. It isn't Mother Teresa he maltreats and he doesn't do it for fun. Knock yourself out, Jack, I'll hold your coat if that will help. There is a choice between committing an evil and enabling one that is far, far worse and Jack chooses the smaller one. Good on him, I would hope that the authorities in the real world would have the courage and judgment to make the same choice to protect the public but I have strong doubts.

The complaints about 24 show extreme moral confusion and weakness and it is precisely this that encouraged Osama bin Laden to attack Americans in the first case. Osama said he had seen Americans fighting in Somalia and he knew from that experience that they could be beaten. Islamic fundamentalists do not complain about the morality of the West, they complain about the absence of it -- Pope Benedict XVI said so and I think it is fair to give him some credence as an expert on moral questions. Carping about the likes of 24 doesn't not advance the moral case for preventing terrorism one iota, it hinders it and encourages terrorists to think that we are too gutless and stupid to defend ourselves. It is bad news all around and I wish these silly idiots would shut up and stick to social commentaries on eating disorders and the rudeness of taxi drivers.
-- Christopher Holland
Canberra, Australia

Also, when I see Muslims portrayed in the same manner as Christians, I'll believe that the television producers have finally gotten some spine. Until then, they are just a bunch of liberal hypocrites!
-- James A. Olson
Severna Park, Maryland

LISTENING TO TUNNEY
Re: Paul Beston's The Man Who Wasn't There:

To the reviewer: Commander Tunney broadcast to the troops in the Pacific during WWII about their return someday to their families. The purpose of the message was for the troops to restrain their speech. As you might imagine, the f-word was used frequently along with obscene profanity. I was there with the Third Marine Division and heard the broadcasts when we were based on Guam. Thank you.
-- C. Mark Gilson
Seneca, South Carolina

Letter to the Editor

topics:
Taxes, Health Care, Joe Biden, Television, Medicaid, Religion, Islam, Abortion, Constitution, Law, Supreme Court, Military, Iraq, Fascism