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Joe Scarborough Changes The Face Of The Scooter Libby Debate
Added: (Tue Jul 03 2007)
It will not be on Bill O�Reilly�s talking points this evening, the lead story on The CBS Evening News, or even on MSNBC�s Countdown with Keith Olbermann. However Joe Scarborough�s comments this morning on his MSNBC�s show �Morning Joe� really got this writer thinking about what is wrong in Washington.
After listening to almost twenty minutes of Carl Bernstein talk about lawlessness of the current administration, Joe talked to Chris Mathews about the trouble with Scooter Libby and Clinton. It was after this discussion that the connection became very clear. The problem may be so clear that many pundits or talking heads would not like to face the music. Therefore, I have choose this way of communicating the information so we can all see exactly what Joe Scarborough was talking about.
First of all I would like to disclose that fact I�m no longer in the age where TV producers are worried about my demographics, and to make matters worse I�m an educator who is concerned about the fate of this nation. It came to me this morning that reason why we have the problems we have in Washington today has to do with one factor- high school debate.
Wow, I said it and you might ask, �What the heck does a person from �the Redneck Riviera� know about an elitist activity such as debate.�
After being involved in various aspects of high school speech and debate for over twenty years, I have come to the realization and agreement with the words of President Kennedy when he was asked during the 1960 Presidential election about what one thing prepared him most for the Presidency. He replied that is was debate.
This comment may seem very odd to some people but a quick look at the facts points out that over 50% of all high school debaters become lawyers. Over 95% of all debaters in this country are white with a greatest of this population also being male. In a country where the majority of the country is neither white nor male, haven�t you wondered how over 90% of all national politicians are both white and male? It doesn�t happen by sheer chance and well remain this same way until we change open up more opportunities for �People of Color� to participate in this activity.
Second, elitism how is it created or reinforced? Much of this elitism is created and nurtured in the artificial world of debate. Affluent high school easily put more than 100,000 dollars into their debate programs, sending them to tournaments each weekend, expensive summer camps at prestigious colleges, and national tournaments. Poorer schools, less affluent schools, and schools with �People of Color� are considered easily defeated or even dismissed by the more affluent schools. Students in this debate culture learn to argue both sides of an argument. They learn to argue for and against things they may believe in and they learn the tricks on how to discredit their opponent�s claims. You learn to appeal to the judge, turn the words of the opponents around on them, and if that doesn�t work attack the opponent�s character or flaws.
Third, since most politicians, their handlers, lobbyists, and many others in Washington D.C. are former debaters, we may want to begin to call for a change in the way we look at high school debate today. Do we really want more fast-talking, people who blame their opponent�s for all of the problems but do not offer any solutions as our political leaders? Can we afford to exclude People of Color as leaders of the country? As we approach the middle of the 21st century, maybe the best thing we can do is not to worry about Scooter Libby, but to stop the culture that got us into those problems.
Mr. Bernstein, it is not lawlessness. It is a simple fact that for too long, we are arguing for arguing sake. Nothing gets accomplished. Debaters learn that learn in their careers and they take that knowledge with them as politicians. Remember a politician who solves all of the problems, is a politician who puts him or her out of a job. When debaters run politics and when debaters and politicians use their office to win, can we expect anything but this? Make no mistake about most politicians have become elitist and lost touch with the common people. This wasn�t a mistake; it didn�t happen yesterday, it happened in high school. Therefore, the only long-term care is to open debate up to all people not just a privileged few.
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Submitted by:
Michael Cunningham