"Cowardice asks the question...is it safe? Expediency asks the question...is it politic? Vanity asks the question...is it popular? But conscience asks the question...is it right? And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular but one must take it because it is right." ~Dr. Martin Luther King

Friday 29 January 2016

SIMPLE AND SENSIBLE AND SURPRISINGLY SENSATIONAL

Last week Sean Penn was a guest with Charlie Rose. The interview was two hours, spread over two shows. At the start  of the second ,Charlie stated the previous hour had been watched by the  largest audience of any in T.V.history. Twenty million people ,world-wide had watched . 

Sean Penn had interviewed a Mexican drug lord.... in hiding after a peculiar escape from a Mexican jail... The actor wrote a five-thousand word article for Rolling  Stone magazine and came under considerable criticism for his effort.  

Charlie Rose was merciless in his challenge. 

Why did you do it ? What was your objective .....were questions repeated over and over. The answer was strong and consistent. 

The decades long, government multi-million dollar war on drugs is a failure. Thousands have died and hundreds of thousands more are in jail. Still the government does not turn attention to the demand for drugs. All sectors of society are tragically affected. Society is complicit in the problem. 

The actor felt his objective had failed. Public attention focussed elsewhere. 

The interaction between host and guest was great television. Intense  drama about a major problem growing worse. 

Most interesting for me was that, Mr. Penn's claim he  does not attempt to provide answers. He does not tell readers what to think. 

He sets out what he has learned and leaves it to readers to form an independent conclusion.

As information grows and changes, conclusions evolve and solutions can adapt.

How simple and sensible is that ?

I take  great comfort from the logic . Despite that  Mr. Penn declared his objective had  failed. 

Watching the  bad reality  show passing for the Republican Presidential nomination and similar puerile political  performances  closer to home ,one might easily despair .

The beacon of light from the earnest endeavor of Sean Penn, Charlie Rose  and a growing number of others like them is enough to give us hope. 


6 comments:

Anonymous said...

There's always hope. But we need a huge shake down to make this happen. And that only comes at times of huge crisis, and economic disparity. When you look at both Republican and Democratic leadership campaigns, they will be there shortly.

Anonymous said...

I do not think he failed - the war against drugs had failed however. You can't jail everyone.
Canada seems to be on the right track with the legalization of pot to free up law enforcement and the court system.
But programs like you watched have a long way to go in some of the States. Too many do not want to know that
drinking might be worse for their health than marijuana.

Anonymous said...

You are seeing more like Charlie ?
I am completely dismayed by the dumbing down of the populace, in particular the U,S, It may be the
trend to home schooling but the average ability to reason is under threat.
That mess in Oregon is a perfect example of why we should be worried about out neighbours and their
election.

Anonymous said...

The World Health Organization released a report, confirming alcohol was the worst drug of all.

Anonymous said...

18:25- We can say the same thing about this side of the border. The dumbing down in particular with the populace in this province. How this province elected the Liberals back in with a majority government to boot is beyond dumbing down.

Anonymous said...

16:06
We know what happened here. Just make sure a similar implosion never recurs. It was stupid and I am a liberal who
voted conservative that time, Now Aurora will have two reps. Get it right by working now.