Honest Opinion vs. Political Correctness

By Eric Seidel, CEO

The Media Trainers, LLC

The Juan Williams episode reopens these long-unanswered questions: Where does the right to express an opinion end and political correctness begin? And, how has political correctness managed to become a duplicitous tool to control speech while being applied unevenly in American society?

Whether you agree with Williams politically, you would be hard-pressed to effectively question his intellectual integrity. While left of center, he’s refreshingly honest when he criticizes those on his side of a political issue.

In what appears to be a knee-jerk decision due to the offended sensibilities of a tilted news organization, NPR acted swiftly and, as many along the entire political spectrum are saying, unjustly and unwisely.

Juan Williams is too talented and intelligent to suffer any long-term damage. His former employer on the other hand just might have marginalized itself and slapped the government gift horse square in the mouth.

If the GOP takes over of the U.S. House, that's where federal budgets begin their legislative adventure. And that's where Congress just might punish NPR. Also, the network currently is in a fund-raising period. It will be interesting to see how donations compare to expectations after its firing of Juan Williams.

Williams tells Fox News how he was fired in the video below.

Reflections on the Chilean Mine Rescue

By Eric Seidel, CEO

The Media Trainers®

The scenes we witnessed out of Copiapo, Chile, are a refreshing reminder of just how much most people in this world cherish life. It is a welcome contrast to the daily drumbeat of radical Islamists who care nothing for life and, in fact, prefer death as supposed martyrs.

Now that all 33 miners have been brought to the surface of the gold and copper San Jose mine, the world can celebrate the determination and effort of the Chilean government and the mining company, with the assistance of mining experts, including from here in America.

Sixty-nine days ago we learned these 33 men had been trapped a mile underground. Amazingly, we also found out the fact they were alive wasn’t even known until 17 days after a landslide isolated them. Once contact was made, the work began. Initially we were told it would take until Christmas to reach the miners and bring them to the surface. But a focused group of engineers, with miners’ family members camped out in a makeshift tent city nearby, worked tirelessly and ceaselessly to bring the miners back above ground alive earlier than predicted.

Finally, less than an hour before the clock turned to the 69^th day, the first miner surfaced in a tiny capsule that would be claustrophobic for most. His wife and son were waiting as he was released from the capsule and an excited world watched the wonderful reunion.

The anticipation was remindful of that day in July, 1969, when Neil Armstrong first stepped onto the moon. A fantastic feat of planning and engineering combined to make what may have seemed impossible possible.

Thankfully, life still has very high value in our world, despite the fanatics who only see value in death.