I used to enjoy getting up and watching the Today show on NBC. Personable Matt Lauer, cute little Katie Couric and the jovial Al Roker were pleasant company while I had my morning coffee.
I started to have reservations when Matt had our good friend, Chuckie Schumer on the show months ago, promoting his plan to require mandatory gun locks. As usual, there wasn't a single word that emerged from Schumer's mouth that was either truthful or accurate. Matt was casually objective, which is to say that he didn't come right out and agree with Schumer, but he didn't call him on any of his b.s. either.
Some time later, on another show, Katie interviewed Charlton Heston. She was polite, but her questions left no doubts about her personal views on gun control. She must have asked 3 or 4 times, in as many minutes, if our society didn't NEED tighter gun control restrictions.
Katie interviewed John Lott on another show, only to deny him adequate time to state his case, while some gun control spokesman was given all the time he wanted to attack Lott's research.
This morning was the final straw. Katie was supposed to interview British P.M. Tony Blair about NATO's 50th anniversary celebration. Instead, much to his apparent surprise, she asked him his opinion about the school shooting in Littleton. Comparing it to the rampage that occurred in Dunblaine, and the British govt.'s subsequent passage of laws that virtually banned gun ownership in that country. She asked HIM if HE didn't think that WE needed to enact similar tougher restrictions.
To his credit, Blair repeatedly declined to get drawn into this "debate". He pointed out that the two situations were vastly different and when asked if the laws passed after Dunblaine effectively prevented a reoccurrence of such an incident, he responded that there was no way to make that determination. He stated that this type of incident was too horrific for anyone to predict.
Well, I was about to regurgitate my english muffin by this point when Matt introduces Jann Wenner, publisher of Rolling Stone and somehow (?) connected to Ceasefire, and Armstrong Williams, a radio talk show host. The lead in question had something to do with the possible effect of pop culture and parenting on producing incidents like Littleton.
Wenner exploded into a rant wherein he absolved pop music, movies, the parents of these individuals and the government as possible contributing factors. Guns, guns, guns are the problem, the only problem and we should get rid of them all!
"There's something wrong in this country when a child can go into K-Mart and buy an assault rifle". I kid you not, this moron actually said that!
And Matt didn't utter a peep when that blatant lie was tossed out there. I guess the producer that whispers into his little earphone was off having a doughnut somewhere.
Mr. Williams made some thoughtful observations about values, personal responsibility and questionable government intrusion into the role of parenting through the schools. He was reserved and his insight was refreshing in contrast to Wenner's diatribe. Which is probably why he didn't get as much air time as that flamboyant fool.
If there was an Emmy award for the most Idiotic performance on TV, Wenner would win, hands down. Matt would get Best Supporting Idiot. Katie is undoubtably shooting for a Lifetime Achievement award in Idiocy.
And I guess I deserve a nomination for putting up with them for this long.
I started to have reservations when Matt had our good friend, Chuckie Schumer on the show months ago, promoting his plan to require mandatory gun locks. As usual, there wasn't a single word that emerged from Schumer's mouth that was either truthful or accurate. Matt was casually objective, which is to say that he didn't come right out and agree with Schumer, but he didn't call him on any of his b.s. either.
Some time later, on another show, Katie interviewed Charlton Heston. She was polite, but her questions left no doubts about her personal views on gun control. She must have asked 3 or 4 times, in as many minutes, if our society didn't NEED tighter gun control restrictions.
Katie interviewed John Lott on another show, only to deny him adequate time to state his case, while some gun control spokesman was given all the time he wanted to attack Lott's research.
This morning was the final straw. Katie was supposed to interview British P.M. Tony Blair about NATO's 50th anniversary celebration. Instead, much to his apparent surprise, she asked him his opinion about the school shooting in Littleton. Comparing it to the rampage that occurred in Dunblaine, and the British govt.'s subsequent passage of laws that virtually banned gun ownership in that country. She asked HIM if HE didn't think that WE needed to enact similar tougher restrictions.
To his credit, Blair repeatedly declined to get drawn into this "debate". He pointed out that the two situations were vastly different and when asked if the laws passed after Dunblaine effectively prevented a reoccurrence of such an incident, he responded that there was no way to make that determination. He stated that this type of incident was too horrific for anyone to predict.
Well, I was about to regurgitate my english muffin by this point when Matt introduces Jann Wenner, publisher of Rolling Stone and somehow (?) connected to Ceasefire, and Armstrong Williams, a radio talk show host. The lead in question had something to do with the possible effect of pop culture and parenting on producing incidents like Littleton.
Wenner exploded into a rant wherein he absolved pop music, movies, the parents of these individuals and the government as possible contributing factors. Guns, guns, guns are the problem, the only problem and we should get rid of them all!
"There's something wrong in this country when a child can go into K-Mart and buy an assault rifle". I kid you not, this moron actually said that!
And Matt didn't utter a peep when that blatant lie was tossed out there. I guess the producer that whispers into his little earphone was off having a doughnut somewhere.
Mr. Williams made some thoughtful observations about values, personal responsibility and questionable government intrusion into the role of parenting through the schools. He was reserved and his insight was refreshing in contrast to Wenner's diatribe. Which is probably why he didn't get as much air time as that flamboyant fool.
If there was an Emmy award for the most Idiotic performance on TV, Wenner would win, hands down. Matt would get Best Supporting Idiot. Katie is undoubtably shooting for a Lifetime Achievement award in Idiocy.
And I guess I deserve a nomination for putting up with them for this long.