By way of context, Comcast Cable runs its own news channel, CN8, but also features easily digestible information segments, Comcast Newsmakers, broadcast five minutes before the hour and half-hour on the Headline News channel. Generally, most of the topics are informative but pretty softball--biodiesel--what is it and what it means to Pennsylvania agriculture? Or maybe "the Pennsylvania Lemon Law and you"--but interesting, nonetheless. The interview format traditionally follows a familiar path--interviewer asks government official or nonprofit community organization to comment on their work or topic, with the interviewer asking questions for clarification or making comments to move the discussion along.
So I'm being pretty nervy when I chastise the interviewer, Carla Showell-Lee, for her "lackluster, enabling style" in this letter to Comcast Newsmakers. But then they haven't handled a topic like this one before--and perhaps this isn't the best venue for an "in depth," five-minute discussion on a controversial issue, which is clearly a not-in-depth, one-sided, propaganda campaign on a misunderstood topic.
It's taken me nearly 45 years on this planet to start to get really p.o.'ed in public, not just to my friends and family. If nothing else, I have to thank the current moralist junta--ediciones nacional y regional--for that much-needed character development. After watching me endure some unsatisfying personal and professional relationships, during which I seem to exist speechless yet seething, my last therapist always encouraged me to find my voice. I think I'm starting at least to creak out some disco versions of show tunes at least, working my way up to opera.
Well, read on, and you'll see what I mean . . .
Dear Comcast Newsmakers staff,
Thank you for your recent interview with one of the proponents of House Bill 2381, the so-called Marriage Protection amendment that has been proposed for the Pennsylvania Constitution. I appreciate the coverage of this topic, as it is an issue that needs to be addressed statewide, yet seems somewhat lacking from coverage by most media outlets.
However, to say that I was pleased with the coverage is an altogether different matter. Actually, I was quite perturbed by what I viewed as a lackluster, enabling interview that Ms. Carla Showell-Lee conducted with state representative, Sam Rohrer, R-Berks, one of the cosponsors of the legislation. At least, that is my interpretation of the recent Comcast Newsmakers segment, shown on February 5, 2006.
Judges are not "activist judges," despite what the representative claims. Judges have as their job to interpret laws made by legislatures and governing bodies. There is no activism in interpreting a law--this is the very nature of judgeship. Unfortunately, the representative and other conservative leaders in this country seem not content to do their jobs as legislators, which as I understand it, involves making laws and creating and funding services to benefit the population. Clearly, micromanagers that they are, they won't be happy until they interpret their own laws and provide in person all the services they fund, so that they exert total control. While I didn't expect Ms. Showell-Lee to convey this exact point, she did fail to challenge the representative on this gross misstatement.
In addition, Ms. Showell-Lee failed to challenge the representative on his disingenuous claim that this house bill was being proposed merely to "protect" marriage, that by adding "only" to existing language on marriage laws in the state, which define marriage as being allowed between a man and a woman, such a revision would protect the populace from outlandish, emotionally charged situations like "a 25-year-old man marrying a 13-year-old girl."My apologies that this is not an exact quote; I am perversely hoping to see a repeat of this segment so I can directly quote the esteemed legislator at his most disingenuous.
(Editor's note: Actually, I've now corrected this so that it is an exact quote. I originally heard this as "a 35-year-old woman marrying a 15-year-old boy," assuming that the representative was trying to be topical, referring to last year's Georgia marriage shocker. But no, our illustrious representative relied upon the "Jerry Lee Lewis Strategy" to convey his point. What next, references to crimes committed by Fatty Arbuckle?)
Please. How naive and ignorant does he--and do you--think we are? This legislation is clearly and primarily designed to further inhibit the possibility of same-sex marriage in Pennsylvania and is a direct response to recent court decisions (not activism) in Maryland, which stated (as I understand it) that limiting marriage to men and women, in the current legal language, was insufficient to prevent same-sex marriage, should one have that as one's legal goal.
Ms. Showell-Lee did not counter the representative's argument. How unfortunate.
For the final blow to journalistic integrity, Ms. Showell-Lee concluded the interview by encouraging the representative to return to discuss the topic again and then made a reference to the language of the law and compared it to the language of the Bible. In other words, she linked the language of the proposed legislation to Biblical teachings, which, despite the claims of some clergy and legislators, are open to interpretation with regards to same-sex relationships. (See John Boswell's seminal work, Christianity, Social Tolerance, and Homosexuality: Gay People in Western Europe from the Beginning of the Christian Era to the Fourteenth Century, et al.)
I may have misunderstood her point here--it was late, I was tired, and it was a very quick, almost under-the-breath reference--but that is how I interpreted her remark, and I'm assuming many others would as well.
The last time I checked, separation of church and state was still the operating procedure of our government entities. Thus, I do not see how this bill's language should reflect that of the Bible, or I should say, the particular version of the Christian Bible that Ms. Showell-Lee was referring to. It was certainly useful of her to point this out--it clearly met with the approval of the representative, and thus tipped his hand about his true agenda here (one might even take pleasure in referring to this as the "Heterosexual Agenda").(Editor's note: OK, I admit it, a cheap laugh. For the record, I love heterosexuals. Why, even some of my friends, not to mention my parents, are heterosexuals. I just couldn't resist this perverse crack at the often-bandied slur, "Homosexual Agenda." If only I'd thought to add "radical" in front of that . . . .)
Nonetheless, I find it dismaying that Ms. Showell-Lee would encourage such a line of argument, especially in a multicultural and multi-faith environment as ours, one in which we are guaranteed the right to religious freedom, the right to hold many different beliefs about religion and religious teachings. I suspect it could even be interpreted that we have the right to freedom from religion under these constitutional guarantees. Should one want that.
I am beginning to wonder if I dreamed this episode of Comcast Newsmakers because I don't see it listed on your current schedule for Pennsylvania. (Editor's note: Saw it again this morning, and it still ticked me off.) I should hope I don't see it again, despite my earlier claim. You offer a fine, quick, informative news program on state government happenings and state issues, which I hope will continue. However, if your newscasters are going to fall in lock step with bigoted state representatives, perhaps it would be best to stick to safer topics, such as the Lemon Law and global warming.
If I have misinterpreted Ms. Showell-Lee's remarks or behavior, I do apologize. However, it might be worth your organization broadcasting a retraction or a clarification of this segment—or perhaps offering an alternate view from a dissenting legislator or community organization. There are those of us in this state who don't have a problem with same-sex marriage, although I wouldn't call it my number one issue. (Personally, I favor equal rights for all residents and mutual respect for one another's similarities and differences.) Thus, so as not to offend your viewers and adversely affect the bottom line of your cable and internet operations, it might be worth considering and respecting the diversity of opinion on this topic among your audience members.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
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