Fred Phelps' Westboro Baptist Church has announced it is protesting outside the venue of the debate between Maggie Gallagher and Jonathan Rauch tonight.
This will have the benefit of making Ms. Gallagher look like the moderate she is.
However, the debate will show a gaping hole between Gallagher's position and Phelps' that needs to be filled in public debates like this. You know the same-sex "marriage" debate is artificially limited because there are no open, non-kook representatives from the 40% of Americans who still support anti-s-domy laws.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Poor media coverage is pro-life leaders' own fault
This story happens every year. The mainstream media doesn’t cover the March for Life enough. And when it does, its coverage is incompetent or biased.
These complaints happen every year too. Why is that?
It’s not the journalists’ job to report on every event in Washington. They have a world to cover.
However, it is the job of pro-life leaders to secure as much accurate and favorable media coverage as possible. Media companies need to be convinced the March for Life is important.
Decades into the March for Life, they aren't convinced yet.
Are pro-life groups just dispatching a single press release to busy newsrooms and expecting reporters to notice? Sometimes it seems that way.
If CNN anchor Rick Sanchez doesn’t know who is sponsoring our largest event of the year, it's our own fault for not using the system right. Let’s stop coasting on lazy and self-excusing accusations of media bias.
Pro-lifers donate lots of money to support our movement's leaders. If we're still complaining about media coverage every year, these leaders aren’t succeeding at their jobs.
We need an audit to find out what we’re doing wrong.
EWTN is not enough. What are leaders in the pro-life movement doing to build contacts, working relationships and even friendships with mainstream reporters?
And what are the rank-and-file pro-lifers doing to make their leaders lead?
====
UPDATE: Sum of Change was doing some reporting and passes on a
a flyer to March bus captains that reads:
That blog also says:
While it would be unfair to expect the average Marcher to be a good spokesman, wouldn't a little media preparation on the long bus ride be a helpful pasttime?
Twitter: @kevinjjones
These complaints happen every year too. Why is that?
It’s not the journalists’ job to report on every event in Washington. They have a world to cover.
However, it is the job of pro-life leaders to secure as much accurate and favorable media coverage as possible. Media companies need to be convinced the March for Life is important.
Decades into the March for Life, they aren't convinced yet.
Are pro-life groups just dispatching a single press release to busy newsrooms and expecting reporters to notice? Sometimes it seems that way.
If CNN anchor Rick Sanchez doesn’t know who is sponsoring our largest event of the year, it's our own fault for not using the system right. Let’s stop coasting on lazy and self-excusing accusations of media bias.
Pro-lifers donate lots of money to support our movement's leaders. If we're still complaining about media coverage every year, these leaders aren’t succeeding at their jobs.
We need an audit to find out what we’re doing wrong.
EWTN is not enough. What are leaders in the pro-life movement doing to build contacts, working relationships and even friendships with mainstream reporters?
And what are the rank-and-file pro-lifers doing to make their leaders lead?
====
UPDATE: Sum of Change was doing some reporting and passes on a
a flyer to March bus captains that reads:
it is good to suggest to your Marchers that they
refrain from giving names and addresses to unknown persons,
and refrain from answering personal questions from people who
are, for instance, “with the press” or making a “survey.”
That blog also says:
So we are covering their event. However, after seeing the interviews, I can tell why they instruct marchers not to talk with the press: these folks have no idea what they are talking about. A literal quote, "We don't have to have facts or figures."
While it would be unfair to expect the average Marcher to be a good spokesman, wouldn't a little media preparation on the long bus ride be a helpful pasttime?
Twitter: @kevinjjones
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Maggie Gallagher and Jonathan Rauch to debate same-sex 'marriage' at CU-Boulder
UPDATE: This could get interesting.* Fred Phelps' crew is heading to Boulder for the debate.
*As James Poulos has noted: "The interesting is not the good."
====
On Monday, January 25, the Aquinas Institute for Catholic Thought, the intellectual outreach arm of the St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Center, will hold the third annual “Great Debate” on the University of Colorado campus and host nationally-known speakers Jonathan Rauch and Maggie Gallagher for a debate entitled “Should the Government Approve Same-Sex Marriage?”
Last year’s “Great Debate” featured Dinesh D’Souza and Christopher Hitchens [KJJ: Not that great] and drew a crowd of over 2,400 people to CU’s campus to hear the debate on “Atheism vs. Religion.” Over 2,000 people are expected to attend again this year and tickets are currently on sale. Tickets are $10 per adult, $5 per student and can be purchased at www.thomascenter.org or at any King Soopers.
Monday, January 25, 2010 at 7pm
University of Colorado-Boulder,Macky Auditorium Cristol Chemistry 140
All are welcome.
“The Roman Catholic Church has a long history of engaging in public debate on important ideas and issues of the time, even those controversial in nature. Given the growing national interest in the same-sex marriage debate, the Catholic Center has decided to provide a forum to openly discuss the merits of both sides of this issue, on the campus of Colorado’s flagship university,” said Father Kevin Augustyn, director of Campus Ministry at the St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Center.
“In the tradition of the Catholic Center’s patron saint, St. Thomas Aquinas, who intelligently and fervently engaged the ideas and controversies of his day with age and grace, we hope to provide a stimulating intellectual discussion on the same-sex marriage debate.”
(Source: Jan. 12 Thomas Center Press Release)
The first debate featured Peter Kreeft and David Boonin on the ethics of abortion. See too my personal take on the debate and the fine work of the Thomas Aquinas Catholic Center.
Twitter: NOMTweets ThomasCenter kevinjjones
*As James Poulos has noted: "The interesting is not the good."
====
On Monday, January 25, the Aquinas Institute for Catholic Thought, the intellectual outreach arm of the St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Center, will hold the third annual “Great Debate” on the University of Colorado campus and host nationally-known speakers Jonathan Rauch and Maggie Gallagher for a debate entitled “Should the Government Approve Same-Sex Marriage?”
Last year’s “Great Debate” featured Dinesh D’Souza and Christopher Hitchens [KJJ: Not that great] and drew a crowd of over 2,400 people to CU’s campus to hear the debate on “Atheism vs. Religion.” Over 2,000 people are expected to attend again this year and tickets are currently on sale. Tickets are $10 per adult, $5 per student and can be purchased at www.thomascenter.org or at any King Soopers.
Monday, January 25, 2010 at 7pm
University of Colorado-Boulder,
All are welcome.
“The Roman Catholic Church has a long history of engaging in public debate on important ideas and issues of the time, even those controversial in nature. Given the growing national interest in the same-sex marriage debate, the Catholic Center has decided to provide a forum to openly discuss the merits of both sides of this issue, on the campus of Colorado’s flagship university,” said Father Kevin Augustyn, director of Campus Ministry at the St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Center.
“In the tradition of the Catholic Center’s patron saint, St. Thomas Aquinas, who intelligently and fervently engaged the ideas and controversies of his day with age and grace, we hope to provide a stimulating intellectual discussion on the same-sex marriage debate.”
(Source: Jan. 12 Thomas Center Press Release)
The first debate featured Peter Kreeft and David Boonin on the ethics of abortion. See too my personal take on the debate and the fine work of the Thomas Aquinas Catholic Center.
Twitter: NOMTweets ThomasCenter kevinjjones
Wednesday, January 06, 2010
Denver First Things readers' group to hold first 2010 meeting
With the happy link from the First Thoughts blog to the post below, I will take the opportunity to note that the Denver First Things Readers' Group will meet this Tuesday at 7:00 in the west Denver home of our organizer.
His contact details are at the FirstThings.com ROFTERS page.
Twitter cross-references: @MicahMattix @ROFTERS @DRDRF @kevinjjones
His contact details are at the FirstThings.com ROFTERS page.
Twitter cross-references: @MicahMattix @ROFTERS @DRDRF @kevinjjones
Saturday, January 02, 2010
Walker Percy documentary in the works
The trailer:
Percy's novels and essays
drew upon the oddity and despondency of modern life. At a time when every basic need seems met, when man can spy across the globe and amuse himself to death, man can think himself more miserable and solitary than ever.
In this paradox of success, Percy saw proof of man's transcendence. There the novelist found leverage for a Christian, existentialist and uniquely American aesthetic.
Percy's novels and essays
drew upon the oddity and despondency of modern life. At a time when every basic need seems met, when man can spy across the globe and amuse himself to death, man can think himself more miserable and solitary than ever. In this paradox of success, Percy saw proof of man's transcendence. There the novelist found leverage for a Christian, existentialist and uniquely American aesthetic.
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