debeaking and disemboweling big bird

A rumor has been floating around the internet for years now that a move is underway by the Republicans to de-fund PBS (an entity that the American people overwhelmingly support funding). This time, however, it’s apparently real. Tomorrow, the House Appropriations Committee will decide whether to approve severe cuts to NPR and PBS, and all indications are that it will vote in favor of the proposal. Furthermore, a friend of Karl Rove’s, and former Republican National Committee co-chairwoman Patricia de Stacy Harrison is the “leading candidate” to be the next president of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the parent entity which sits above the two.

Not willing to go down without throwing a few punches, a few groups are fighting back. Among them are three groups that I admire – People for the American Way, MoveOn, and Media Matters. As they each make the case for saving PBS much more eloquently than I ever could, I’ll just ask that you follow the links and listen to what they have to say… And, I’d also ask that, if you agree, you take a moment and add your name to the well over 400,000 people who have already signed the MoveOn petition.

Here, in case you weren’t going to follow the link to MoveOn, is some of what the folks at MoveOn have to say:

A House panel has voted to eliminate all public funding for NPR and PBS, starting with “Sesame Street,” “Reading Rainbow,” and other commercial-free children’s shows. If approved, this would be the most severe cut in the history of public broadcasting, threatening to pull the plug on Big Bird, Cookie Monster, and Oscar the Grouch.

The cuts would slash 25% of the federal funding this year–$100 million–and end funding altogether within two years. The loss could kill beloved children’s shows like “Clifford the Big Red Dog,” “Arthur,” and “Postcards from Buster.” Rural stations and those serving low-income communities might not survive. Other stations would have to increase corporate sponsorships.

As someone who is looking forward to the day when he can watch Sesame Street with his daughter, I hope you’ll take a minute to either sign the petition, or write your congressperson (or both)… I don’t think I need to tell any of you in the audience this, but freely available, commercial-free television is absolutely essential to the future of our democracy, especially now.

So, do me a favor and don’t let them debeak Big Bird.