While I have generally been a life-long conservative, I do not and have not always voted strictly along party lines.  This may come as a surprise to some readers of our blog and I am perfectly okay with that.   

Today, a friend on Facebook forwarded a video of Mr. Roger’s testimony to Congress in 1969, where he was seeking funding for Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood on public television at a time during the Vietnam War when President Nixon wanted the funding cut in half. 

In grad school fifteen years ago,  I remember a professor who challenged us to think of one area where the government did a decent job at competing with the private sector.  I remember saying that I really enjoyed some of NPR’s programming.  I’ll admit that in more recent years I haven’t been as impressed by its liberal lens, but the creativity is still top notch and refreshing in that it doesn’t resort to easy sex, drugs or rock n roll to draw ratings.

I’m attaching the video clip of Mr. Roger’s testimony to Congress.  Give it a listen.   No, really.  Fred Rogers died a few years ago, but I’ll venture a guess that his neighborhood had a far more wholesome impact on the lives of many children than Call of Duty 4 or Hannah Montana do today.  

Other than the drawback of being filmed in Pittsburgh Steeler territory, the show probably lives in the minds of many adults my age as being one of the all time greats of our childhood years.  Mr. Rogers was a truly remarkable man — a devoted husband, father, and Presbyterian minister — with a heart for children.

Then again, maybe I’ve just officially become an old fart.