Maybe this was announced a while ago, but this morning was the first I'd heard about former U.S. Marine Captain Josh Rushing taking a job with the English language branch of Al Jazeera television. I found out while watching Today and they were postulating about whether or not it was a good idea.
Two words... HELL and YES!
C'mon, people. Much of the Arab world hates the U.S. They have hated us for years for any number of reasons. So, if they are willing to take on a red-blooded U.S. Marine to work as a correspondent, on-air personality, writer, producer, consultant, whatever (his official job capacity has not yet been determined), how can it be a bad thing?
If there is a better example of a person who believes in the "American Ideal," I am hard pressed to think of who it might be.
But it's not as though his viewpoints are 100% pro-American. Rushing was the U.S. Public Relations Officer that played a large part in the documentary Control Room all about the behind-the-scenes operations at Al Jazeera. His character, from what I've read (I have yet to see the movie, but my brother in law says it was amazing), evolves greatly through the course of the film in his growing understanding of both Muslim and American viewpoints. Hence why he was chosen by Al Jazeera.
Conservatives, according to Today, are afraid that he will not be able to properly represent the viewpoints he plans to bring to the table with Al Jazeera. I don't think anybody can legitimately expect them to accept our views. It just won't happen, but at least they are willing to try. And Rushing is willing to be the first to jump in the fire.
Will he wind up a scapegoat? Yep.
Will he take a lot of flack not just because he is an American but because he was also part of the U.S. military? You bet.
Does he know it? Absolutely. And he is more than willing to take it, he says.
But he also is being given the opportunity to bring at least a little balance to what many people claim is very biased reporting. Hiring someone to work the "other side of the fence" is just plain smart on the part of Al Jazeera. Whether or not they will make the most of this opportunity remains to be seen. Lots of things remain to be seen.
Good luck, Josh. I'm hoping this works out for the best. God knows our country needs any positive PR it can get in the world arena. And I think we all know why we are in this PR quagmire, don't we...
My brother in law forwarded this photo to me from Yahoo News/AFP with the following message...
I thought this picture was funny. Bush is talking about the "No Child Left Behind" issue and it distinctly says "Left Behind" in the background of the picture. Having that behind him was perfect just because I don't know anybody who doesn't think he should have been left behind as a child... we won't even get into his presidency. But how funny is it that he preaches about this topic when we all know he had to have been one of the dumbest kids in his school as a child? About the picture, though, either that is just coincidence or the photographer had been waiting all day for him to stand right there. "Come on, Georgie! One step to the right. Perfect!!"
It is a beautiful picture, Scott. Thanks for the laugh. Thus, proving that a picture really is worth a thousand words... or, more appropriately, a thousand mispronounced words.
