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From: Anthony Lardaro
Date: 1/25/01
Time: 8:27:05 PM
Remote Name: 159.91.146.202
OK, I truly apologize for posting two blanks. My computer and I are having some SERIOUS issues, so here's what I MEANT to write two posts ago (word to the wise: don't press enter unless the cursor is in a text box, damn it)...
So yeah, like I was saying, kudos to Bryant Gumbel. I've heard about this series but I never had the opportunity to see it. I was certianly never aware that he was the brains behind the whole operation. The proposal, the research, the financial planning, etc. A lot of this was above and beyond the call of duty. Why did he do all this? Because he saw the opportunity to bring something that has gone unnoticed to the mainstream media. He was willing to go the extra mile (or ten miles, in this case) to get the series together because he believed in it. That's something few journalists possess--the guts to stand up and do something different. People fear the unknown, but Gumbel saw the series on Africa as an opportunity to educate America, not to frighten them. Although in the long run it was a flop in the all-important ratings bid (my primary gripe with broadcasting), Gumbel did win critical acclaim for the series, and I hope Gumbel's efforts inspire similar projects in the future.
As for Farrakhan, I don't have much to say about him, other than stating the obvious. If he thinks he can defeat white supremacy with black supremacy, someone needs to tell him that two wrongs don't make a right (well, usually). His attacks on whites and Jews in particular are only going to set back racial lines before it helps them. Understanding, not maliciousness, is the only way racial hatred is going to stop. Farrakhan's log on the proverbial fire is bad news all the way.