ABC and NBC INFLAME THE TUCSON SPEECH -- for Just A Minute Radio on Monday 110117

            How many times have you pressed the ‘send’ command on your computer, only to regret it a nano-second later.

 

            Possibly there’s a big epidemic of that surrounding what’s more commonly called “The Tucson Massacre.” 

 

            There are a lot of ‘tough’ words sent off through the Internet or over the air, that will have to be chewed over and swallowed slowly – Some were even launched before the ‘January 8^th Saturday Shooting’ in Tucson, AZ had zipped across the country and around the world.

 

            People who should know better – and probably will have opportunity en-masse’ to retract and be sorry for the additional harm they have caused with their hasty words, should be doubly careful and considerate what they say or type in coming days.

 

            It seems this lesson has to be re-learned with a frequency that is distressing for a major nation – one of the prime care-givers and first-responders in the world.

 

            This kind of ‘verbal earth quaking’ has been rampant in America, particularly in the last twelve months. It’s been that long since the devastating quake that hit Port-Au-Prince, Haiti.  We were deeply alarmed then – and there was no one to blame… we felt powerless immediately – and looking at what has been achieved in the past year – I would say we now need to be even more distressed.

 

            Haiti has – for the largest part of the 20^th Century – been the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere.  Visiting Haiti, as I have, and getting first hand reports of missionary and relief workers in that part of the world, it seems to be a bottomless well into which huge resources have been poured with astonishingly small effect.  Those who have been involved in similar cases in other parts of the world are puzzled at why relief efforts have been so terribly ineffective.

 

            From all I can tell, Haiti has suffered because an uncaring upper crust of Haitians have for decades skimmed the cream off the country’s economy and stashed it away in Swiss Banks or other unreachable places.  They have callously turned their backs on their own countrymen and robbed and stripped the country of virtually all its natural resources.  The AID that has managed to make it to the populace has to be supervised down to needles and pins if it is not carried away by corruption and a massive epidemic of ‘not-caring.’

 

            Until we Americans and other care-givers, re-adjust our methods it is going to continue.

 

            Unfortunately – our public discourse in America has been, for the past 50-60 years – drifting into the same “look Ma, no hands” attitude. As a nation we seem to take the comic’s attitude – “Eesse  no’ my prob’lm.” – But it IS our problem!

 

            Every time we support a lousy TV program or tolerate lax government – we make it worse.  We’re a nation of – “Don’t ax me ta do nothin’ ah don’t git paid fer.” – people.  There are loving and generous people in our country – Just not enough of them!  I’m impressed with folks like Bill Cosby and Opra Winfrey who act generously but not foolishly.  There are others, Pastors, teachers, Salvation Army people and hospital volunteers who undertake to lift up others…. But the ‘takers’ seem more numerous than the ‘givers’ every time I look.

 

            Well, folks – I’m but one voice “crying in the wilderness” – but what’s happening on our borders and in our inner cities… our trouble spots – it’s getting worse and not better.  We need people --- and there ARE lots of good people out there – who say:  “Whoa… enough… time to turn things around.” 

 

            For my part I think the TEA Party people are a signal more and more of us see the problems… what we need to do now is work through our schools… our communities, our CHURCHES and civic organizations… to bring America back to its roots and what its stance is for.  How long since we’ve had another experience like France sending us a Statue of Liberty?  Why is that?  Have we lost the idealism expressed in our National Anthem? 

 

            Well… these are questions that run through my mind. 

 

            Dr. Bob Jones (I was an audio engineer for his daily radio program.) use to say: “I am only one… but I AM ONE.  I can’t do EVERYTHING… but I can do SOMETHING!  What I can do I OUGHT TO DO. – and by God’s grace I WILL DO.”

 

            Let’s all take that pledge today!

 

            Cordially, IN CHRIST

 

            Jack Buttram

 

“JUST A MINUTE”

ABC AND NBC INFLAME THE TUCSON SPEECH

Just a Minute: - Virtually every media-offered opinion over the weekend, added fuel to the conflagration that followed Congresswoman Gifford’s wounding and the  President’s response.

 

ABC’S Claire Shipman chided: "What was meant to be statesman-like, set off another round of controversy." Shipman featured angry comments from leftists like MSNBC's Keith Olbermann and former Clinton White House consultant Paul Begala.

 

NBC’s Tom Brokaw visited the Today set, Thursday, saying it’s time for grown-ups to say “cool it” – Or questioning how Sarah Palin could properly respond to personal attacks by some of Brokaw's NBC colleagues.

 

Twitter totally backed away from a four minute rant their service carried with messages like: “Why couldn’t Sarah Palin get shot instead?” or “Let us pray Sarah Palin contracts cancer and dies.” They claimed their terms of service prevented being responsible for such content. The FBI admits they are concerned there will be both ‘copycat’ and new threats.

 

          The only solution is for Christians to pray AND let Congress know this is unacceptable.

 

<>I’m Jack Buttram. (END)

 

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