Comments on: The PBS Incident

By: Andy

Andy — Sat, 04 Dec 2004 19:06:41 +0000

You go, GIRL!!! Knowing that you really didn’t want the job allowed you to focus on planting the seed that blacks can be conservatives w/o being Uncle Toms or Aunt Jemima.

I rather suspect you might wind up with a radio show. Although, a TV talk show would be good and maybe that’s where PBS needs to put you. Set you up with an half-hour show on Saturdays on PBS — “Down on the Corner with La Shawn Barber” — that way we don’t have to get cable to watch you. Maximum exposure once the word gets out. Yeah, that’s the ticket. Maybe instead of you waiting for them to call, you ought to call them back and pitch this as a way to prove their diversity and justification of continued public assistance.

By: yawmark

yawmark — Fri, 03 Dec 2004 19:50:35 +0000

Priceless. The Left is not interested in intellectual and ideological diversity; quite the opposite. Only the wrapper matters to them. Would that they realize that a “black conservative” isn’t an aberration. Kudos to you – that’s a great story. )

By: Baklava

Baklava — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 23:46:13 +0000

Thanks for writing for us about this La Shawn.

I had visuals of their wide eyed stares. )

By: SCSIwuzzy

SCSIwuzzy — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 23:28:33 +0000

LaShawn,
A PBS station here in Philly just fired a reporter
(some reports now say she quit under pressure) for leaving a rather hateful message (including the phrase “God hates you and wants to kill your children”) on a conservative political group’s (a lobby group) voicemail… I guess that means there is an opening
Or maybe PBS will look in the mirror and see that diversity is lacking in their political spectrum.

By: Dee

Dee — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 17:59:54 +0000

Thanks for sharing your story. I also begged for a password and I am glad.

By: Allan

Allan — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 04:25:06 +0000

PBS definitely leans left and it seems to me NPR even moreso. However, they do hire at least token conservatives or once did. Neil Cavuto started his career on the Nightly Business Report.

By: Joshua

Joshua — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 04:24:08 +0000

You RAWK!!!

Keep kickin booty.

This is why we love ya.

By: Diane Behrendt

Diane Behrendt — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 04:11:30 +0000

Fan-tas-TIC!

Oh, to be a fly on the wall during that conversation! The expressions on the PBS guys’ faces must have been priceless..they’ve probably only interviewed yes-men and other grovelers before. I haven’t watched PBS since my youngest out-grew Mr. Rogers, and I can’t say I’ve missed it, either (except for Mr. Rogers ) They’re way too liberal for my taste.

Anyway, I’ve only had one interview where I was so totally relaxed that I could actually say what I truly thought and believed..it was a very heady experience! And thinking back on it now, I’m pretty sure that it was mostly due to the fact that I didn’t *really* want to work there.

Just goes to prove that if one is true to God and true to one’s self, there’s no need to fear. I believe that things happen for a reason. You may never know the reason that God led you to that interview, but I’m sure it went according to His plan!

Great job!!!

By: Matthew Fountain

Matthew Fountain — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 02:21:20 +0000

Neat. Great Comments and reactions.

Thanks for sharing your story!

Blessings!

By: KLand

KLand — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 01:33:32 +0000

LB,

Thank you for sharing this part of your life with us.

By: Rick

Rick — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 01:10:42 +0000

La Shawn,
That was an interesting story. I am just an echo of the other comments. Good for you!

By: BobG

BobG — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 00:52:59 +0000

God has given you much talent and there is a reason this happened. We may never know what part this played in His plan but thanks for allowing yourself to be used by Him. I have two daughters, 16 and 13, if they turn out like you I will be one proud dad. God Bless!

By: Another Betsy

Another Betsy — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 00:33:34 +0000

LaShawn,
Thanks for telling the story. I am not surprised at the reaction you received, and I admire you for sticking to principles during the interview. Only within the last year have I noticed how truly biased the MSM is. Listening to NPR is nauseating. Now I am wondering how long this has been prevalent? Maybe I’m naive and idealistic, but I really valued the idea that our press was non-biased, as opposed to propaganda organs like Pravda, etc.

No longer fooled.

By: Pat Wilson

Pat Wilson — Wed, 01 Dec 2004 19:40:29 +0000

Good for you! I’m secretly relieved that we won’t lose you to the bright lights and big city, though.

By: cooper

cooper — Wed, 01 Dec 2004 16:03:01 +0000

LaShawn,

Thanks for the password. It is incredible to me that PBS sees nothing wrong with taking taxpayer money to fund their “cause”. The sin of justification is the worst in my eyes!

Stand tall young sister! Stand tall.

And don’t you believe the line about “your not having any TV experience”. You know as well as I do that if they wanted you, they’d find a way.

I believe you were invited back to the second interview because of your being a perceived “anomoly”. These people were so impressed with your ability to represent yourself without compromise compelled them to “show you off” to the rest of the group. You stood on principle without compromizing an iota of character. It was a paradigm they find difficult to understand. As others have already stated, you made a lasting impression that will not be ignored (on a personal level) by those you spoke with that day.