tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10643191.post907360709685141978..comments2023-06-15T04:25:15.738-05:00Comments on Reflections of the Spirit: Hand of God ScreeningUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10643191.post-78672242744903454672007-01-30T10:36:00.000-06:002007-01-30T10:36:00.000-06:00Yet another letter in the Valley Morning Star toda...Yet another letter in the Valley Morning Star today:<br /><br /><b>KMBH fails to live up to its mission</b><br /><br />Editor:<br /><br />I applaud Joe and Rosa Perez for taking a stand against KMBH's refusal to air "Hand of God." Their program, "North of the Border," will be sorely missed, but I admire and support their convictions.<br /><br />I used to think it surprising that KMBH and KMBH-TV, both PBS affiliates, are owned and operated by the Catholic Diocese; now I find it "sinister," as sinister best describes a hidden agenda of censorship and suppression of the truth.<br /><br />By squashing the airing of "Frontline's" "Hand of God," KMBH has directly contradicted the mission of public broadcasting - that of meeting the diverse needs and interests of the entire citizenry, which is one of society's best hopes for disseminating information in a fair and unbiased light.<br /><br />KMBH also contradicted itself. On its Web site, its own mission statement states that "information on church life at all levels, beginning with our own parishes and diocese ... and documentaries on people, events and aspects of our church life" are included in its programming.<br /><br />Though disconcerting in that "church life" by definition addresses only a segment of our public and "public broadcasting" should be separate from any church or religious organization, KMBH's mission statement alone should have dictated the showing of Frontline's "Hand of God," a documentary on a very current issue and relevant aspect of "church life," a documentary that has been called "gripping" and "help(ing) others on the path of renewal and recovery."<br /><br />Monsignor Pedro Briseño apparently seems to have chosen to protect his vested interests in the church instead of helping those souls they supposedly care for with an enlightening and educational program. This can be construed as yet another example in which the Catholic Church has protected and enabled molesters.<br /><br />At the very least, Msgr. Briseño seems to believe that our community is incapable of deciding for itself what programming to watch, equating our listening and viewing public to naïve and gullible children. This censorship is worse than condescending and arrogant; it is downright dangerous.<br /><br />As Hitler outlined his theory of propaganda and censorship in Mein Kampf:<br /><br />"The chief function of censorship is to convince the masses, whose slowness of understanding needs to be given time in order that they may absorb information in order to serve the State's purposes."<br /><br />All I can say is, "Thank free will and self-determination for Sirius radio and the BBC!"<br /><br />Linda Forse<br />BrownsvilleKanickershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00088384274692597915noreply@blogger.com