April 15, 2009

PBS Hate Speech

[Video here until it is posted elsewhere on the Greater Boston Site within a few days.]

http://www.wgbh.org/gb/

On Tueday April 14, 2009 Emily Rooney, daughter of 60 Minutes'
pundit Andy Rooney, had as a guest on her PBS show Greater Boston, the
Mayor of Boston Thomas Menino. She showed pictures of construction
sites on the MBTA subway stations at Arlington, Kenmore, and Copley to
make those stations wheelchair accessible, She said to the Mayor,
"They are eyesores." It made me wonder, "Is Emily Rooney an eyesore?"

This is the same journalist (former news director at WCVB-TV, ABC
Boston affiliate) who I repeatedly petitioned to have on her show
persons with disabilities to discuss discrimination against them. She
ignored my requests although she did write a patronizing letter to me
after three requests.

After I wrote to the president of WGBH-TV in Boston, she had two
persons on her show to actually discuss denial of access for persons
with physical disabilities, and barriers to enjoying basic rights. I
congratulated her on this breakthrough, and reminded her that persons
accused of mental illness continue to be ignored by WGBH. She lamented
that "No good deed goes unpunished" adding that she would see that I
was banned from Boston.

Now she shows her true colors ignoring the inability of persons
who use wheelchairs to use the MBTA a public transit system. The
Rehabilitation Act of 1973 mandates that the subway be accessible. The
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 requires that public transit
be accessible. Legal aid lawyers sued the MBTA and in 2008 a judge
ordered MBTA to make the stations accessible in spite of much
opposition from citizen groups in Boston.

None of these groups or Emily Rooney would object to allowing
black people, homosexuals or women to use the subway stations to ride
the MBTA. But they have no concern expressing bigoted positions toward
persons with disabilities. They usually say "It never entered my mind."
Rooney cannot say that I did not bring this issue to her attention.
In her case it appears that she believes that persons with
disabilities should not enjoy equal rights as other citizens. She is
like the one-party conformist politicians she embraces, shameless and
clueless.

2 comments:

Janet Hunt said...

I watched Tuesday's 'Greater Boston' with interest in seeing & hearing what you reported. I had to watch a couple of times to find what you referenced and still could not find it. You eluded to a dialogue you wanted to report, but what you reported was not factual of the exchange between Emily Rooney and Mayor Thomas Menino. Emily made no comment about accessibility or about people who experience disability, which was perfectly reasonable in the context of the discussion between Mayor Tom Menino & Emily Rooney. What they did discuss was centered around major construction throughout the city of Boston; Kenmore Square, Copley Square, Arlington/Boylston Street. Major digging "is an eyesore", Emily said. She asked Mayor Menino who is responsible for holding the construction contracts (un)accountable. Emily raised concern about length of time for the construction, enormous costs, unsightliness of the construction areas and dangerousness to pedestrians to walk around. You have reported what, exactly? You have tried to capture Tuesday's episode into a previous saga, but it doesn't work here.

Diogenes said...

Construction at three of the stations mentioned by Rooney is to make the stations wheelchair accessible. This is a long delayed project, based upon aesthetics. Recently there was a major news story regarding a wall in a nearby church allegedly damaged by the construction, which was halted. If it was done 30 years ago as required by US laws it would not be so offensive. Disruption is ugly, an eyesore to those who will not benefit. This is not based upon a previous problem with Rooney. It is a continuing problem wherein prominent journalists (WGBH-TV is taxpayer funded) ignore denial of basic rights for persons with disabilities.

In 1992 the Town Council in Lexington, MA said it wouldn't look good if they made a refurbished school house wheelchair accessible. I wrote a letter to the local paper asking if they would deny access to a public building to blacks, women and homosexuals if it did not look good. The Council changed its mind. It is the same issue over and over again and again.

It is like the failure of doctors to wash their hands between patients which causes 90,000
deaths by hospital infections each year. In 1890 Louis Pasteur
demanded that doctors wash their hands. They ridiculed him. 130 years
later they still have difficulty doing a simple act to save lives.

Similarly, denial of basic rights (i.e. to travel) are not an issue for limousine liberals who run Massachusetts.