Letter to the editor: Public broadcasting deserves support

So far, such is the calamitous Kirksville apathy that I am now convinced certain lazy elites foster local and nationalistic elites, wealthily so, over here. I have seen, thus, just two instances of individuals defending the endangered PBS/NPR stations. One was by the Index opinions editoress who objected to it being made a political target by the GOP's far right in an early article by her. And then, a speech I heard from my own progressive, Dr. David Pshol at the Rotary Club, in which he bemoaned "what would happen to young kids' early home-schooling if PBS is wiped out" as history shows no one else finds the profit in alternative commercial trash fare.

Can I, therefore, before the crucial semester-long break, add some points neither advocates had space to add (like them, I am also urging you and your family/friends to contact even your most backward, cost-cutter of the U.S. or a state legislator to stop the projected "cut" of all PBS/NPR subvention before it is all to late). And so the U.S. consequently sinks to the lowly status of being the only major western democracy without any taxpayer-funded public broadcast entity (like BBC, CBC, ABC and TVNZ) to challenge the unrepresentative FOX TV and rich, white male press conglomerates.

Firstly, much theatrical and classical — let alone socially provocative history — drama skills will die if shows like "Masterpiece Theater" and "Mystery" literally disappear from the U.S. mindset. Even I, a Brit, do concede there's too much of us on such shows. But where are college and high school folks to get any of the necessary courage for any of your own history-type fare? If all that is left is Hallmark card-sponsored dramas (which are often sanitized and complete with spasmodic irregularities on thrill-obsessed, ad-packed U.S. commercial TV).  It is T.S. Eliot's "Cultural Wasteful" forecast for the U.K. from his unflattering poem in which he comes back to the land of his birth, which is suffering from nihilistic degradation, is it not?

Secondly and finally, what about the "right wing's" nastiness toward NPR and PBS because they are accused — falsely — of being too allegedly "left wing?"  Well, sometimes, in fair and independent lenses, like "Frontline" and even Tavis Smiley, maybe they are so de-centered by ultra-conservative U.S. bigots and uncritically standards, but necessarily so. But by our "universalist" interpretations, including our own countries, they are in fact rather tame. I've had to find out about Obama's escalation of disastrous U.S./U.K. satellite wars in Afghanistan and Cuban prisoner abuses from Australian "Lateline" and U.K. "Newsnight" — two independent state TV programs. Simply, as outside a few east coast papers, its paradoxically hushed-up by many even so-called U.S. liberal, if not radical, channels like "Link" and "Free Speech TV" dish outlets in poor beggar-bowl funding.

So if you wish to avoid a second-class combo of yet further trivia about this or that rich Hollywood star's relationship troubles, ego problems or hate shows like Maury Povich and Jerry Springer, and money-milking pastors, then do sit back. Let PBS and NPR go under, without protest, and all you will get is eternal dumbing-down. Oh and perhaps more, too, needless wars and false demonizing will result. As all the quality broadcasters like Ed Morrow and Walter Cronkite fared will have been commercial sheer "pap" and "feel-good" insularity erased from a "know nothing" American mind, with guns for frustration, ventilation, in nightmarish inarticulation far worse than the "Planet of the Apes" fiction depictions.

Larry Iles

Kirksville Resident