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A listener recently wrote us this note about a segment that she heard on PRI's "Fair Game" with Faith Salie:

"The other day I was driving around, late at night and heard this amazing program. It happened to be on the night that Faith interviewed Gabe Kaplan. Of course, when I went home, I woke my boyfriend, who was a HUGE Welcome Back Kotter fan as a kid. Well, I got him to listen to the podcast of that show, and since then we have both been faithful listeners to Fair Game."

Listen to segment

I am the great great granddaughter of Dr. James Still and great great grandneice of William Still of the Underground Railroad. In 2005 the new edition of the Underground Railroad republished. I was the artist who had painted the oil painting for thr the book cover, which is the first time in history and by a direct decendant.The unveiling was at the African American Museum of Philadelphia, February,2005. I have been working with my art for over 40 yrs. and working towards having the worlds largest collection of Black History collection of art work by an African
American woman; my career has really grown since the bookcover. February 7, 2007 I had an exhibit at the Smithville Mansion in Eastampton, N.J for Black History month. At that time I had an unveiling of a painting entitled,"A Ship of Enslaved Innocence." It is my rendition of children on a cargo slave ship. It was sent to me fromm a museum out of Philadelphia. I will get to the point. September 18, 2007 on the Tuesday Tavis Smiley Show, professor Cornel West was discussing his new cdand there and behold was the photo of the Painting i had just unveiled for Black History Month, "my children." I began to cry and knew i had to contact you. I would love for you to see my rendition of this photo called, "A Ship of Enslaved Innocence." The response has been overwhelming and quite rewarding. It has opened the souls of many adults and children of all races. There is so much that I can go on with you, but time and space is of the essence.
Sincerely,
Francine Still Hicks
fcsh3@hotmail.com
(856)786-1925

You ran a story about Blackwater, introducing the author as a writer who has written about the company. Only after his biased whitewash did you reveal that he is a writer for National Review and The Weekly Standard. I have nothing against having people like him on, but you should let people know up fron that he is hardly an unbiased reporter.

Lisa Mullins was interviewing Sarah Chayes the other day. She was not listening to Sarah's answers and her questions reflected the pro-US party line that was obtuse to Afghan politics. Had she listened to what Sarah was saying, she would not have asked questions like, "How can people support the Taliban?" Sarah had just explained why.

Mr. Smiley
I was at the march in Jena this past thursday. I have some questions I would like for someone to answer.
#1. What cause Mychal Bell to hit or jump-on Justin Baker
#2. Why was the defendant's charged with attempted murder
and conspiracy to commit murder in the first place.
#3. Why was bail's set so high.
#4. What about DA Reed Waters comment about his powerful pen
#5 The defense attorney, not worthy of comment.
#6. Why an all white jury? ( no blacks in the town )
#7 It is claimed Justin Barker was beating so severity
was in the hospital for three hours, and his parent
said he had a $12000.00 hospital bill, But was able
to attend a party that same night.
#8. Why no one was arrested when the Black boy at the
party that night was attacked.
#9. Why was the black boy that took the shot gun away
from the white guy was arrested, and the white guy
was not.
#10 How can the US attorney Donald Washington or any
one else say that the nooses hanging from the tree
had nothing to do with this sad affair, When this
is what started this sad affair.
#11 Why would the US attorney Donald Washington think
most peoples was disappointed the three white
student's didn't get a more severe punishment
when the focus is on accessive punishment and
unequal treatment under the law.

The nooses hanging from the tree DID have something to do with the attack. But that's not the point. That's like saying that it's okay for someone to try to kill his wife after learning that she cheated on him. "Well, your honor, I was mad." And it wasn't even one brother on the dude...he got jumped! If it was one brother handling his business, then it's just between the two of them. But 6? Damn!

If we switched things around, and it was like 6 white dudes beating on a brother? And then they said they was just mad because he'd called them a peckerwood? Please. It'd be ALL over the news.

I don't remember which program I was listening to, but I wanted praise PRI for shedding light on a very big problem: Student Loans. I am an Oregonian, and I have tried to keep up with who is listening to us students and former students and the problems we are having trying to pay our student loans. I am a middle-aged divorced female and took loans out so I could go to school after my divorce, truly believing an education would be my way out of the poverty I was raised in. So far, not only has my education not lifted me from poverty, but I have been unable to find a living wage job in spite of having a Masters degree (earned in 2005). My only hope is that my loans will be decreased or forgiven for taking a job in the non-profit sector (I work in a group home for mentally ill adults, and can barely pay my bills--there is no money left over to pay on my student loans). Now I am seeing that when others have been unable to pay back their student loans, their pensions, and even disability checks are being confiscated. I gave up everything to get my education and still found myself jobless and homeless a year after graduating. Even though my loans are in deferment at the moment, I am struggling and can only see myself couch-surfing again when my wages are garnished for loan payments. Please, please, continue to expose the fact that there are many people getting rich at the expense of those who trusted them.
Again, I would like to thank you for all of your hard work.
~Naida Lavon

This Aemrican Life
I have recently started listening to this show via podcast after catching it on Vermont PR last month. I loved the program about 'How to Talk to your Kids'. Very funny and insightful.
Brendan, UK

on the tv TAVIS SMILEY program I beleive that Tavis stated that Hallie Berry was the first black female academ award winner? However, the first black female academy award winner was HATTIE MC DANIELS IN 1939 for a supportine role in Gone With The Wind.

Thank you.

Dear Folks,

It is 5:00 Eastern Daylight Time on Saturday, October 12th. We have just listened, spellbound, to the presentation from Chicago about the performance of the final act of Hamlet. I am simultaneously devastated and elated: devastated to be reminded of the horrible things people do and the horrible consequences of those actions, and elated to know that there are people as effective and dedicated as the Director, Agnes, and the reporter who spent six months in prison preparing his report. Surrounded, as we all are, by daily acts of incompetence, stupidity, and violence, it is hard not to think of our species as solely incompetent, stupid and violent. It is easy to forget that we are all pluripotential and that the culture, the context in which we live, draws out of us but one part of us, that part the culture rewards. It was devastating to think of the demeaning, depersonalizing, disrespectful cultures in which most of the prisoners developed. It is so easy and tempting to oversimplify the magnificent complexity of all life, including human life, and to believe that “lepers don’t change their spots,” and that prisons are places that collect bad people and often make them even worse. Few people in history have portrayed the complexity and pluripotentiality of people as powerfully as did Shakespeare. However, this presentation rivaled him.

I am a physician and a teacher. I thank you PRI, and thank you, Agnes, who has become a role model. I will try harder to create contexts and cultures that are likely to draw out of people the creativity, the brilliance, the kindness, the toughness, and the compassion buried in all of us.

Thank you for educating me and inspiring me.

George Spaeth, M.D.
Wills Eye Institute/Jefferson Medical College

Dear Folks,

It is 5:00 Eastern Daylight Time on Saturday, October 12th. We have just listened, spellbound, to the presentation from Chicago about the performance of the final act of Hamlet. I am simultaneously devastated and elated: devastated to be reminded of the horrible things people do and the horrible consequences of those actions, and elated to know that there are people as effective and dedicated as the Director, Agnes, and the reporter who spent six months in prison preparing his report. Surrounded, as we all are, by daily acts of incompetence, stupidity, and violence, it is hard not to think of our species as solely incompetent, stupid and violent. It is easy to forget that we are all pluripotential and that the culture, the context in which we live, draws out of us but one part of us, that part the culture rewards. It was devastating to think of the demeaning, depersonalizing, disrespectful cultures in which most of the prisoners developed. It is so easy and tempting to oversimplify the magnificent complexity of all life, including human life, and to believe that “lepers don’t change their spots,” and that prisons are places that collect bad people and often make them even worse. Few people in history have portrayed the complexity and pluripotentiality of people as powerfully as did Shakespeare. However, this presentation rivaled him.

I am a physician and a teacher. I thank you PRI, and thank you, Agnes, who has become a role model. I will try harder to create contexts and cultures that are likely to draw out of people the creativity, the brilliance, the kindness, the toughness, and the compassion buried in all of us.

Thank you for educating me and inspiring me.

Sincerely,
George L. Spaeth, M.D.
Louis J. Esposito Research Professor
Wills Eye Institute/Jefferson Medical College

Dear Folks,

It is 5:00 Eastern Daylight Time on Saturday, October 12th. We have just listened, spellbound, to the presentation from Chicago about the performance of the final act of Hamlet. I am simultaneously devastated and elated: devastated to be reminded of the horrible things people do and the horrible consequences of those actions, and elated to know that there are people as effective and dedicated as the Director, Agnes, and the reporter who spent six months in prison preparing his report. Surrounded, as we all are, by daily acts of incompetence, stupidity, and violence, it is hard not to think of our species as solely incompetent, stupid and violent. It is easy to forget that we are all pluripotential and that the culture, the context in which we live, draws out of us but one part of us, that part the culture rewards. It was devastating to think of the demeaning, depersonalizing, disrespectful cultures in which most of the prisoners developed. It is so easy and tempting to oversimplify the magnificent complexity of all life, including human life, and to believe that “lepers don’t change their spots,” and that prisons are places that collect bad people and often make them even worse. Few people in history have portrayed the complexity and pluripotentiality of people as powerfully as did Shakespeare. However, this presentation rivaled him.

I am a physician and a teacher. I thank you PRI, and thank you, Agnes, who has become a role model. I will try harder to create contexts and cultures that are likely to draw out of people the creativity, the brilliance, the kindness, the toughness, and the compassion buried in all of us.

Thank you for educating me and inspiring me.

Sincerely,
George L. Spaeth, M.D.
Louis J. Esposito Research Professor
Wills Eye Institute/Jefferson Medical College

I got tired of all the BS out of DC, so I decided to tell them exactly how I felt. Unfortunately, it is difficult not to be vitrolic when one is angry at our foreign policy! (see attached file letter to congress)

I heard yesterday about how Disney made an advertisement about the USA and used a Canadian landmark in their ad. I'd like to clarify that there are two waterfalls between Buffalo, NY and Canada. One is called Horseshoe Falls and that is on the Canadian side. The other is called Niagara Falls and this is on the American sidein the town of Niagara Falls, New York. It sounded like the announcer thought there was only one water fall and that is was called Horseshoe Falls in the town of Niagara Falls and was in Canada. Just wanted to spell this out. I'm not sure what was shown in the Disney advertisement.

Thanks so much for bringing John Hockenberry back to the public broadcasting airwaves! The Billion Dollar President series is an excellent lead up to his upcoming morning show.

Regarding the Bob Edwards interview with Tom Brokaw:

I'd like to point out that all the 60's rock icons Mr. Brokaw mentioned, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, and Jim Morrison, in the context of "illicit drug" use, as he was discussing that, and in general the "responsible use" of said drugs, died from overdoses of alcohol.
His comment does two things: It points out (to those who know enough) that the illicit drugs they were consuming did not kill them (but we already knew that); and that there is still a huge amount of hipocracy regarding what drugs, alcohol included, are dangerous (knew that too). Unfortunately, most of the listening public will take from that segment the idea that those musicians *did* die from illegal drug overdoses, which, among other things, will continue to prop up the hipocracy and misinformation regarding the dangers of the only drug which actually did harm those folks: alcohol.
Now, I'm not here to bash alcohol, or to promote the alternate use of any other drugs. I just want to point out that as an educated individual, with so much public exposure, Mr. Brokaw ought to choose his words, and draw his inferences, a little more carefully.

Bob Edward’s Weekend --- November 11, 2007:
Why it is not such a good idea to have a television journalist ‘wrap up’ the last century

Unlike the discipline of history, journalism does not have to substantiate each fact. The sole fact that a prominent person made this or that provocative statement is enough to make it newsworthy --- journalism 101.

But under his brightly-colored umbrella of TV prominence, Mr. Brokaw is credited with knowledge of all things social, historical, and political, even when that credit is not necessarily reasonable or prudent. Journalism 101 --- when making factual statements, your source should be publicly knowledgeable in his or her area of expertise, or responsible for the reactions to his or her statement. Unfortunately, Mr. Brokaw’s expertise seems to be in creating sweeping opinions. On Bob Edwards’show, Brokaw actually quoted Republican political operative,Carl Rove, as a defining source for the generation which just happens to include Bill and Hillary Clinton, John McCain, Al Gore, and John Kerry.
Just a few facts Mr. Brokaw didn't mention:
1.).He somehow forgot the Kent State shootings—they tended to dampen a lot of the spirit of Assemble and March.

2)Yes, our generation experimented with drugs – we learned all about altered states by watching our parents learn to depend on cocktails, Malborough’s, and prescription pills.

3) And as for forgetting what we stand for, I can’t speak for Mr. Brokaw, but the Baby Boomers I know grew the Conservation Movement, the Green Movement and Recycling. We fought with the financial, political, and business leaders of the conservative and controlling “Greatest Generation” to insist on an actual change for the better in Civil Rights, Minority Rights, Gay Rights, Free Speech, Animal Rights, transparency in government, and medical and emotional care for everyone – which is the reason the AARP is now an activist group.

4.) In the 1930s, 40s, and 50s, our parents heard the free world’s and their country’s calls, and signed up as much to a man as they could to fight and toil for their cause. They should be credited with sacrificing to save many countries of the world from Fascism, and they deserve praise and honor.
∙∙∙ as does the generation deserve praise and honor that included our Founders, who fought in the Revolution and then hammered out for us our Constitution, Bill of Rights, Judicial, and Monetary systems.
∙∙∙ And as does the generation that sacrificed nearly a third of the men in this country in the Civil War to keep the Union together and abolish slavery.

5.) The generals and political leaders of WWII were of our grandparents’ generation – the war our parents planned was the one we fought in, Vietnam. Those same businessmen and politicians who brought us Viet Nam, who planned that debacle – including “Greatest” members Dick Cheney and Secretary Rumsfeld – interestingly enough, have now created the Iraq war: it’s their grandchildren, our children, whom they are expecting to fight and die now.

6.) Unfortunately,all generations of humankind contain every kind of person in greater or lesser numbers: we should not forget that the “Greatest Generation” also included Richard Nixon, Joe McCarthy, and the Birmingham bombers. In greater number among them were those businessmen and industrialists who poisoned our country’s air, land, and oceans in a breath-takingly short time. They hooked the country on foreign oil and the political accommodations that go with this problem. They invented the break-down- disposable-products world, the TV dinner, the hydrogen bomb, and nuclear waste. They invented plastic food, eight-cylinder finned gas-guzzlers, mind-poisoning advertising, and TV presidential spots.
7.) And there may be a necessary war, but there is no Good War.

It was nice of Ira to give me a smile by doing a superficial, politically correct, and rather glib show on Harold Washington. Actually it was more realistic then many of Ira's programs. One thing about Ira, he always sounds convincing, even when he hasn't a clue as to the very complex issues he passes off in the form of easy to prepare black and white issues.
Thankfully, most of what he passed as biblical truth concerning Harold Washington's efforts and the way people responded to him were absolutely on target. Of course, his over use of His Honor, The Judge, was a knee slapper in the best tradition of Hyde Park politics. Obviously Ira never attended events where, The Judge, spoke to friendly crowds without unfriendly press coverage.
The real problem was Ira's total lack of knowledge, or his use of an editorial comment format instead of factual reporting concerning Harold's opponents, their qualifications, how the race developed, when each candidate originally entered the race, who supported/opposed them, what their personal, political, and civil rights credentials were, and what connections were to the Regular Democratic Party.
Stories are so much easier to tell when you can follow the Ira method starting with the desired conclusion. He then only needs to use material that looks pretty and sounds sweet. Too bad, the story could have been so much more accurate and interesting, with not to the least decrease to the memory of political success and social value demonstrated by Mayor Washington.

Hello The World.

Love love your show. I listen whenever I can. Thank you.

This comment regards the segment on obesity that ran 11-16-07. Perhaps one of the other segments already covered this, however if it didn't...

Regarding the pharmaceutical response to fighting obesity, I felt this segment catered completely to the idea that we as human beings should not be held responsible for what we choose to eat. What did he say...something about How can we be expected to watch what we eat with all this high calorie fatty food lying around. I say Choose to eat a salad and some non-processed food that your body knows how to break down properly and give me a break. And is it just me or is the idea of putting anti-obesity pharms in children's formula a shocking and abhorrent suggestion? Ick.

Thank you for providing a place for comments. And thank you for doing what you do.

Cheers,
Ann Woodall (Wood-All...just like it looks)
Austin, TX

Mr. Smiley,
I always listen and enjoy your show every Sunday. The one segment that touched me the most was the one about veterans that are facing homelessness. The comment that you made about understanding how hard it is to just get ahead in american society today was the best statement you made because that rings true especially for veterans with no service connected disabilities but just cannot get a break after coming home.
By your comment, it felt like you are one of the few people in the media to understand what its like to be a young veteran today.

I am a black female Afghanistan veteran with no service connected disabilities but I have struggled for a number of years for sustainability. I'm an orphan and had no family resources to fall back on so there were times where I was working two jobs just to get by while going to school full time. I have been on the cusp of homelessness many times and some how pulled through. There were times where I had to decide between transportation and eating. It seemed like no matter how many times I explained to some trusted friends about my situation, they still didn't understand.

In the midst of my struggles and health concerns, I got my bachelors and masters degree and finally found employment in public policy. The point I am getting at is how many veterans are going through this? It took me five years to get where I am and wonder how many veterans like myself are going through the same thing. The UN Declaration of Human Rights talks about the right to human dignity which includes gainful employment and the right to have a quality of life. Shouldn't this be especially true for veterans that have served and then come back to nothing?