Thursday, October 4, 2012

They Are Learning Entitlement at 8 Years Old

There really is little hope for this country, HuffPo is running a letter from an eight-year old decrying Mitt Romney's threat to cut off funding for Big Bird. As if the private sector wouldn't pick up the show quicker than you can say, "end all government programs."

Here's HuffPo explaining the letter:
Eight-year-old Alabama resident Cecelia Crawford wasn't happy during the debate on Wednesday night when Mitt Romney said he would stop government funding for PBS.
On Thursday morning, she was still angry, so she wrote Romney a letter, sent along to The Huffington Post by her mother. Crawford wrote that she is a fan of "Sesame Street" and that it was her "favorite show on earth" when she was younger. 

"When I grow up I'm going to get married and I want my kids to watch it so do not cut it off," Crawford wrote. "You find something else to cut off!"... 

Crawford's mother mailed the letter on Thursday to Romney's campaign headquarters. 

Read Crawford's full letter to Romney: 

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19 comments:

  1. There are a lot, ahem, non-conservative themes on Sesame Street these days (my kids are not allowed to watch it and they have never seen it), and I am a bit surprised (well not really) that not a single conservative pointed out that Mitt Romney in a manner of speaking endorsed the program as it is.

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    1. Wow, interesting. I haven't watched big bird in years now, but what non-conservative themes are on there? Is it like govt propaganda? i hope you're not talking about sexual themes, that would be ridiculous.

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  2. I think we've identified the 2012 version of "Joe the Plumber."

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  3. I doubt big bird would go away if PBS were cut. It is incredibly popular, it would just be switched over to another channel.

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  4. He could use this as a teaching moment. However, my guess is that he himself would first need to be taught.

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  5. Dear Cecelia,

    There are enough episodes of Big Bird already recorded that you and your children (someday) will never run out of episodes to watch. Not to worry!

    Andrew T.

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  6. Whatever else you do, do NOT click on the link and read the comments. It's just weapons grade stupidity, even from the humanoids ostensibly on the side of fiscal sanity. And the letter is just a little too pat, I suspect it's a PR tactic. In any event, Bob's right, we're hosed.

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  7. Bob, perhaps you should form a corp and seek funding to buy Sesame Street. The brand must be worth millions. Hundreds of millions!

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  8. And people wonder why anarcho-capitalism exists?

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  9. The statists need children to argue for them now? The argument is about as well formed as other statist drivel.

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  10. Dear Cecelia,

    It is not nice to take from others without asking, and then have what is stolen given to the big birdbrain bureaucrat to feather his nest.

    Sincerely,

    Melvin

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  11. It's a nice distraction from Medicare and the war budget, though.

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  12. So the position of EPJ is that Big Bird is too big to fail.

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  13. The Gimme-Gimme Democracy Parasites are created long before they attend the political terrorist's Kindergarten at age 5. This should not surprise anyone.

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  14. More Puh-blik Skewl recruits training for the government's massive voting FreeShit Army.

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  15. "Sesame Street" is produced by Sesame Workshop, formerly The Children's Television Workshop, a private, non-profit organization. From it's Wikipedia page:

    "Although it was originally funded by the Carnegie Corporation and the United States Office of Education, the majority of the Workshop's funding is now earned through licensing the use of their characters to a variety of corporations to use for books, toys, and other products marketed toward children. This ensures that the Workshop has reliable access to funding for its programming without depending on unpredictable grants."

    Also:

    "Although Sesame Workshop is occasionally confused with PBS, Sesame Workshop is an entirely separate and independent organization. Some Workshop programs are broadcast on PBS, and although PBS provides some funding for those programs, the money received covers only a fraction of production costs. Other financial support comes from individual donors, charitable foundations, corporations, government agencies, program sales and licensed products. Sesame Workshop grants licenses to various manufacturers who create toys, apparel and other products featuring Sesame Street characters, and Sesame Workshop receives a portion of the proceeds."

    Low-hanging fruit and economic ignorance make for bad pudding but apparently good politics.

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  16. Why not send the cast of sesame street to go fight in the Middle East?

    Patriotic and the end of sesame street.

    Kill two birds with one stone Romney.

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  17. There is no doubt that PBS Kids does some quality work and helps many children but why is it thought that these shows will not exist for children if the government does not pay? Do you realize that tax dollars are taken from people and then spent on these shows? People work many hours a week to have a portion of what they have earned redistributed to the execs of these shows when they could be paying other bills or buying groceries? When does the theft end? Where's the line?

    But you're over reacting. How?

    Most of those who are upset with Romney about this remark are also the first to criticize the bailouts of Wall St and the bankers... It's the same principle.

    The shows, and those working on them, who truly have a viewership and provide a benefit can flourish on a private network. Money is maid though advertisers that seek viewers, not viewers who pay subscriptions. The government method is a subscription method of payment.

    Sesame Street alone made MILLIONS in merchandising and licensing in years prior. Think of the sales records of Tickle Me Elmo. You're telling me after all of that they don't have enough money to pay for their own television show? Are we to think that should tax funding stop, so will filming and the multi-million dollar money machine that is Sesame Street?

    Also look to the successful programming on channels such as Nick Jr. Without a PBS Kids there would surely be even more private companies to try and fill the market, after all now they wouldn't have to compete with a government sponsored program that can never run out of money (they'll just tax it, borrow it, or print it). I'm all for there being good shows on television but that would come more from parent side.

    Parents have the unique ability to monitor their children and what they watch. They can participate in their children's education and also help their child benefit more by doing this. Parents who take this approach will no doubt be critical of their selection and find the best programming for their children what they deem is appropriate and most educational in accordance with their values. This is not the governments job to regulate. It is not the governments role to ensure proper raising of children. It is not the governments role to educate your child. Children are like pottery and parents are like the potter. It is up to YOU to craft your children and guide them through the social environment.

    If it is thought to be so than it should be no surprise that the family unit is in the toilet these days.

    I don't personally endorse Mitt Romney but at least use your common sense if you're going to be waging an ethical battle on this particular front. We don't need a bailout of Sesame St anymore than a bailout of Wall St. They have enough money, if anything you're making sure they remain overpaid.

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  18. I'm a big fan of yours Bob but this article is just plain idiotic. Do you really expect an 8 year old kid to understand the differences between capitalism vs central planning? I certainly didn't understand this at 8 years old but I do now. You might be right that it is a hopeless situation but it's certainly not based on any lessons from this story.

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