One of the most fascinating aspects of the New Media, which is not so new anymore, is the way it enables the public, over time, to express its opinion about what truly matters.
Sometimes this occurs in frivolous ways – accentuating the macabre, risqué, voyeuristic or just plain silly curiosity of people by bringing attention to news that appeals to the lowest common denominator. Sometimes news and opinion pieces score big numbers because of these factors for a day or two.
But, over time, the cream seems to rise to the top.
By that I mean simple truth spoken by people like Ronald Reagan, Paul Harvey or even lesser known living personalities are spread around through email, social media outlets, public comment posting and bloggers like a healthy "virus" – from which we get the New Media term "viral."
One of those truisms, spoken by one of my old colleagues, a commentator for whom I had the privilege of serving as editor for many years decades ago, has been making the rounds in these forums for eight years now. And it's still going strong.
It began as a commentary piece called "Confessions for the Holidays" on CBS News by modern-day "Hebrew prophet" Ben Stein in December 2005. It struck a chord with the public shortly afterward and continues to spread in various forms – some departing from the original work or adding to it like it might in an old-fashioned game of "telephone."
Stein bemoaned how he must be getting old because he had no idea who some of the young, big names of the popular culture were – people including Jessica Simpson, Nick Lachey and Lindsay Lohan. (Miley Cyrus had not yet emerged as the talk of the public square.)
From there, Stein confessed: "I am a Jew, and every single one of my ancestors was Jewish. And it does not bother me even a little bit when people call those beautiful lit up, bejeweled trees Christmas trees. I don't feel threatened. I don't feel discriminated against. That's what they are: Christmas trees. It doesn't bother me a bit when people say, "Merry Christmas" to me. I don't think they are slighting me or getting ready to put me in a ghetto. In fact, I kind of like it. It shows that we are all brothers and sisters celebrating this happy time of year. It doesn't bother me at all that there is a manger scene on display at a key intersection near my beach house in Malibu. If people want a creche, it's just as fine with me as is the menorah a few hundred yards away.
"I don't like getting pushed around for being a Jew and I don't think Christians like getting pushed around for being Christians. I think people who believe in God are sick and tired of getting pushed around, period. I have no idea where the concept came from that America is an explicitly atheist country. I can't find it in the Constitution and I don't like it being shoved down my throat.
"Or maybe I can put it another way: where did the idea come from that we should worship Nick and Jessica and we aren't allowed to worship God as we understand Him?
"I guess that's a sign that I'm getting old, too. But there are a lot of us who are wondering where Nick and Jessica came from and where the America we knew went to."
Simple words of truth that get people thinking about the things that really matter to people.
Once again, during the recently passed holiday season, Ben Stein's words resonated around the country and around the world through this aspect of the New Media that gives voice to the people in a way that platforms like newspapers, television and radio never permitted.
In the interest of preserving and spreading the original Ben Stein presentation in the video form that first gave it flight, here is that unearthed CBS News commentary that is rarely even hyperlinked to the derivations still circulating via the Internet.
Enjoy.
Happy New Year – and may simple truths like this one continue to resonate with the public in that special place in the soul that sifts out the clattering, chattering noise of the feral popular culture.
Media wishing to interview Joseph Farah, please contact [email protected].
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