Saturday, November 08, 2008

"Beings of Inferior Order"

For quite awhile now, Bill Moyers has been bringing one of the most insightful, informative and transformative television programs to PBS on Friday nights with Bill Moyers Journal.

On a tv night packed with some of my favorite shows - - Real Time with Bill Maher because I love "New Rules", The Soup because I want Joel McHale, The Starter Wife because I want to BE Judy Davis - - I watch Bill Moyers program first and foremost.

Why does his program beat out Judy Davis and that comic hottie, Joel McHale? Well, for those of you who don't watch The Journal, this is how Bill Moyers began last night's broadcast, another in a series of brilliant pieces by Mr. Moyers...



See, there is such a thing as "good television." It's not all I Love New York, you know.

P.S. Doesn't all that "beings of an inferior order" nonsense strike you as slightly similar to the stance taken by certain states this past Tuesday to deny gays and lesbians the right to marry and the right to adopt children? It's all just a little bit of history repeating...

3 comments:

Java said...

Oh, Stephen. I don't cry easily about stuff like this. This one brought tears to my eyes. Thank you so much for sharing this.

As for "beings of inferior order" I was just discussing with a friend how it seems so many in our country hold this idea toward homosexuals. They may not even realize it, but in some significant way they think gays and lesbians and the transgendered aren't fully human enough to deserve basic civil rights. It breaks my heart.

Aaron said...

It IS remarkable...and no matter what "disappointments" and challenges lie ahead, we need to remember how far we've come to get to this place.

I'm finally inspired by my President...it'll take some getting used to, after eight years of grumbling whenever a televised speech interrupted "Everybody Loves Raymond."

I think "there" is wherever we need to be individually. We're guaranteed in our Constitution the right to pursuit of happiness. It doesn't define that happiness, because it can't--that's different for everybody. But too many times people are systematically denied the opportunties to pursue their dreams, for whatever reason. Maybe what Obama means is that we can start putting those things right together--it's one way to get people civically engaged again.

(OK, let the naysaying begin! And you know who you are! Wait--let me get my kazoo out for your musical intro...)

F6's Editor said...

Dittos I always try to catch his show but it comes on so late here and I am still trying to adjust from EDST still. Even though he has an obvious liberal slant he is still fair in his reporting and that is what I like some one who will go after both sides of the issue and still at the same pointe offer their own perspective.