We all have a need for guiding images, be they folks who are
living or have died, a favorite tree or mountain, something that helps us make
wiser choices as we go about our lives.
Listening last night to Bill Moyer on Charlie Rose, I realize these two
are keeping alive the art of meaningful dialogue, discussing issues that matter
and are too often ignored by mainstream media or politics.
They
spoke of how we are all in a lottery, and some, like the two of them, have been
lucky to find work they are passionate about, that supports their drive to make
a difference in people’s lives.
Charlie spoke of Bill’s long career of being a whistle-blower, one who
can be humble and a great reader and listener, and he can express his outrage
with decisions that have undermined labor, undermined the middle class and the
poor in the past 30 years. Young
adults under 30 in America have even a tougher time finding hope & viable
work than the generation before them.
Democracy is a matter of balance, and now we have a monopoly of power
that is totally unacceptable. Too
many folks have no health care, no stability in their work life or acceptable
wages, no hope of owning a home or saving for retirement.
Bill
said we could start with raising the minimum wage to $15/hour. This won’t happen when Congress is so
controlled by mostly men who have shockingly little empathy with the plight of
most Americans who work hard, and still cannot make a sustainable living. Charlie asked Bill why he remains a
journalist when he could have more power in the political arena, and Bill said
he loves his work, and he doesn’t consider the life of a politician as
necessarily one of being more effective in promoting changes we need to be more
in balance. They had fun and
humor discussing truly serious issues of our times. Both
spoke to the power of film to evoke empathy and get beyond the lies and
propaganda. Tonight on Frontline
is the story of Two Families, a story by Bill Moyers of two families struggling
to survive, and the challenges they’ve faced squarely, with integrity and not
always with success.
In the lottery of life, some among us have
faced too many adversities that have undermined our health , our financial
stability, our well-being, and our
hopes for a bright future. As we
age, we do need comforts and security that many of our elder citizens do not
have. We do need a return of a
collective sense of obligation and concern for those less fortunate. The greed and corruption that have bolstered
the finances of those profiting on Wall Street have now bought the loyalties of
most of our political leaders, and this has to change if we are to be a true
democracy.
Yes,
the news is full of craziness, injustice, violence, and it is a breath of fresh
air to be able to watch such high caliber journalism, still alive and
vibrant! Seek voices of curiosity,
intelligence, and the wisdom only possible with a wealth of experience like these two have, and you can
still find it! What a blessing
they’ve not been silenced on our airways!
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