FORMER SENATOR PAUL SIMON DEAD On Pandering in Politics, the Media, Religion, and Education Wed Dec 10 01:18:16 2003 64.140.158.99 FORMER SENATOR PAUL SIMON DEAD 12/09/2003 http://www.kpvi.com/index.cfm?page=nbcheadlines.cfm&ID=15862 Former U.S. Senator Paul Simon died today from complications following heart surgery. Simon had heart problems in the past and underwent heart valve surgery at the hospital's Prairie Heart Institute on Monday. He was 75 years old. With his trademark bowtie, Simon rose from a newspaper owner to a two-term U.S. senator and democratic presidential candidate. He blended fiscal conservatism with social liberalism and earned a reputation as a democrat who would rather raise taxes than rely on deficit financing. He retired from Congress in 1997. ============================================================ Excerpts from Paul Simon's Our Culture of Pandering On Pandering in Politics, the Media, Religion, and Education http://www.siu.edu/~siupress/titles/s03_titles/simon_excerpts.htm What SIMON SAYS about Pandering in POLITICS “We all like to please people. Politicians are not exempt from that trait; when we seek public office or run for reelection, we want to win and usually believe that it is important for the future of a city, county, state, or nation that we succeed. The desire to win has always been part of our political scene, but two things have turned a temptation for candidates into a threat to our free system: First, polls can tell us on a daily basis—hourly, if you want—what people are thinking. In a zeal to win, political leaders too often use these polls to embrace the whims of public opinion rather than stand firmly for the public interests. Second, campaign contributions now play a huge role in who gets elected. In the process of securing that funding, candidates and, more seriously, officeholders find the time that they should devote to complex issues being devoured by begging for dollars. Equally troubling, those who have the big money have learned that a flow of money to the right candidates pays off handsomely. No stock market purchase will ordinarily reward the investor like this type of investment does. Too often, the winning candidates are those who pander to the polls and to the big campaign contributors. . . . The harsh reality is that we have slipped into electing leaders who will not lead, officeholders who are zealous to maintain themselves in power, sometimes at the expense of the national interest.” (p 2–4) “[T]he public should demand that candidates speak frankly and truthfully about issues of concern, and it must understand that once a person is elected and looks at the facts in much greater detail, changes in attitude do and should occur. . . . Perhaps more than anything else, the public must educate itself, not just about politics and political candidates but about local, national, and international issues; people must become involved. This is something most of us have not done.” (p 5) Top What SIMON SAYS about Pandering in the MEDIA “It is not difficult to find editorials rightfully criticizing officeholders for actions that are popular but ill-advised. However, editorials are rare indeed that criticize the media for following practices that are popular but do not serve the nation well. ‘We are giving the public what it wants’ is the pious but lame defense by media executives of such actions. That defense has the same hollow ring to it that irresponsible political leaders use: ‘I’m representing my people and doing what they want.’ Pandering in the media is primarily focused on two interrelated objects: first, higher ratings or greater circulation, getting as large an audience as possible; and second, making as much money as possible. . . . [W]hen the rating wars on television cause the news to be warped by the entertainment factor, the nation loses.” (p 60) “At a time when the United States is singular in its huge ability to influence the world, our people are less and less interested in matters beyond our borders, and our leaders reflect that. The media does far too little to break that irresponsible habit of indifference. Pandering to our popular and current tastes helps short-term profits and hurts the nation—and in the long run hurts the media.” (p 81) “Fewer and fewer people are determining what is in our news and more and more of those decisions are made by people who are looking for quick profits rather than those who are steeped in the traditions of reporting news. Long-term, quality news coverage pays off. But to business executives who want to look better in each quarterly report, the simpler way is to reduce staff and to pander to whatever will satisfy the hunger of a large audience.” (p 98) Top What SIMON SAYS about Pandering in RELIGION “Perhaps the greater sin by faith leaders has been—and is—an unwillingness to do the unpopular, a tendency to comfort and pander to those who attend religious functions regularly, but not to disturb them by building bridges to other faiths and helping the most miserable in our society and our world in concrete ways.” (p 100) “We somehow think we are ‘being religious’ when we add the words ‘under God’ to the pledge of allegiance, or get into a dispute in trying to post the Ten Commandments at a local school, but the real test of faith is not what we mouth but what we do.” (p 110) “To be a pastor or rabbi or imam for a congregation with a thousand members provides greater status (and usually a better salary) than being the spiritual leader for one hundred fifty members. Sometimes those numbers are important, but they should not be a substitute for quality of service. Leaders should not pander to the whims of the people to build up numbers if that comfort is a substitute for applying faith to life. . . . It is easy for religious leaders of any persuasion to avoid disturbing things. The culture in which we live can smother the possibility of asking ourselves penetrating questions. The religious routine—or perhaps more accurately, the irreligious routine—lets the pastor or priest or rabbi or imam pander to the members of his or her flock who live in comfort, ignoring the needs of those whom their faith suggests we should aid.” (p 116–118) “Once we see our common humanity, it is hard to look at people as enemies, whether they are from another nation, another race, or another religion. If violence in the world is to diminish, we must understand that basic lesson. Exchanges in the field of religion will not occur unless someone plans, someone leads. This may take a little courage. It demands more than silence.” (p 126) Top What SIMON SAYS about Pandering in EDUCATION “The security and economic well-being of the nation are being weakened by all of us—administrators, teachers, parents, and citizens—living too comfortably with superficial pleasantries. The education and legislative leaders who should awaken us to realities generally aren’t doing it. Our deficiencies are compounded when knowledgeable people who understand the improvements we need are so mesmerized by day-to-day duties that long-range demands get ignored, and the inattention is frequently further compounded by lack of courage.” (p 138) “The question for leaders today is more than ‘Can Johnny read?’ A more basic question: Can our students compete with the rest of the world? Our best students can, but far too many are not being adequately prepared. As with any other improvement, a better educational system will come only with sacrifice and hard work, for school administrators, teachers, parents, and students. But what is more important, convenience and longer vacations, or better education? It's easier to drift, easier to pander, than to alter our path.” (p 148) “The excessive use and abuse of academic jargon within the higher education community is an example of pandering internally, producing articles in isolated fields that meet the ‘publish or perish’ criteria but are read by few and contribute as close to nothing as you can get. It is not only the time wasted in writing these almost unreadable articles for tenure, salary, and prestige purposes, this pandering also takes academicians—and inevitably their students—away from the real world.” (p 163) Read an extended biography of Paul Simon http://www.siu.edu/~ppi/About/Staff/simonBio.html Return to the book description of Our Culture of Pandering http://www.siu.edu/~siupress/titles/s03_titles/simon_pandering.htm ------------------------------ Excerpts of remarks by former U.S. Senator Paul Simon at the Wesleyan University Commencement May 25, 1997 Former U.S. Senator Paul Simon Don't let this piece of parchment you get, whether you're getting a Ph.D. or your bachelor's degree, be your intellectual death certificate. Grow intellectually. . . . Continue to grow. Don't stop. . . . Lead in reaching out to others within our nation. We need to reach out across the barriers of race, and religion, and ethnic background, and sexual orientation, and every other barrier that separates Americans--to reach out and make sure opportunity is here for everyone. Almost one-fourth of our children are living in poverty. No other western industrialized nation has anything close to that figure. This is not an act of God. There is no divine intervention that says children in America have to live in poverty more than children in Italy, or Denmark, or Great Britain, or Canada, or other western industrialized nations. It a result of flawed policy. It is a result of policy that panders to those who make campaign contributions rather than to needs . . . I want you to challenge us and to reach out to people within our nation. When we say the pledge of allegiance, we say 'one nation, under God, indivisible.' We ought to be achieving that goal and I want you to help us achieve it . . . . Reach out to those beyond our borders . . . Among the 21 wealthy nations of the world, we are 21st in the percentage of our income that we give to help the poor beyond our borders . . . . You, my friends who are graduating here today, let your mission be not that you will add wealth and degrees and fame, but that you are going to use the tools that have been given to you here at Wesleyan to reach out and help others and make this nation and this world a better place. http://www.wesleyan.edu/newsrel/simon.html ---------------------------------------------------- Searched the web for Senator Paul Simon. REST IN PEACE HONORABLE SENATOR PAUL SIMON!
http://www.kpvi.com/index.cfm?page=nbcheadlines.cfm&ID=15862 Former U.S. Senator Paul Simon died today from complications following heart surgery. Simon had heart problems in the past and underwent heart valve surgery at the hospital's Prairie Heart Institute on Monday. He was 75 years old. With his trademark bowtie, Simon rose from a newspaper owner to a two-term U.S. senator and democratic presidential candidate. He blended fiscal conservatism with social liberalism and earned a reputation as a democrat who would rather raise taxes than rely on deficit financing. He retired from Congress in 1997. ============================================================ Excerpts from Paul Simon's Our Culture of Pandering On Pandering in Politics, the Media, Religion, and Education http://www.siu.edu/~siupress/titles/s03_titles/simon_excerpts.htm What SIMON SAYS about Pandering in POLITICS “We all like to please people. Politicians are not exempt from that trait; when we seek public office or run for reelection, we want to win and usually believe that it is important for the future of a city, county, state, or nation that we succeed. The desire to win has always been part of our political scene, but two things have turned a temptation for candidates into a threat to our free system: First, polls can tell us on a daily basis—hourly, if you want—what people are thinking. In a zeal to win, political leaders too often use these polls to embrace the whims of public opinion rather than stand firmly for the public interests. Second, campaign contributions now play a huge role in who gets elected. In the process of securing that funding, candidates and, more seriously, officeholders find the time that they should devote to complex issues being devoured by begging for dollars. Equally troubling, those who have the big money have learned that a flow of money to the right candidates pays off handsomely. No stock market purchase will ordinarily reward the investor like this type of investment does. Too often, the winning candidates are those who pander to the polls and to the big campaign contributors. . . . The harsh reality is that we have slipped into electing leaders who will not lead, officeholders who are zealous to maintain themselves in power, sometimes at the expense of the national interest.” (p 2–4) “[T]he public should demand that candidates speak frankly and truthfully about issues of concern, and it must understand that once a person is elected and looks at the facts in much greater detail, changes in attitude do and should occur. . . . Perhaps more than anything else, the public must educate itself, not just about politics and political candidates but about local, national, and international issues; people must become involved. This is something most of us have not done.” (p 5) Top What SIMON SAYS about Pandering in the MEDIA “It is not difficult to find editorials rightfully criticizing officeholders for actions that are popular but ill-advised. However, editorials are rare indeed that criticize the media for following practices that are popular but do not serve the nation well. ‘We are giving the public what it wants’ is the pious but lame defense by media executives of such actions. That defense has the same hollow ring to it that irresponsible political leaders use: ‘I’m representing my people and doing what they want.’ Pandering in the media is primarily focused on two interrelated objects: first, higher ratings or greater circulation, getting as large an audience as possible; and second, making as much money as possible. . . . [W]hen the rating wars on television cause the news to be warped by the entertainment factor, the nation loses.” (p 60) “At a time when the United States is singular in its huge ability to influence the world, our people are less and less interested in matters beyond our borders, and our leaders reflect that. The media does far too little to break that irresponsible habit of indifference. Pandering to our popular and current tastes helps short-term profits and hurts the nation—and in the long run hurts the media.” (p 81) “Fewer and fewer people are determining what is in our news and more and more of those decisions are made by people who are looking for quick profits rather than those who are steeped in the traditions of reporting news. Long-term, quality news coverage pays off. But to business executives who want to look better in each quarterly report, the simpler way is to reduce staff and to pander to whatever will satisfy the hunger of a large audience.” (p 98) Top What SIMON SAYS about Pandering in RELIGION “Perhaps the greater sin by faith leaders has been—and is—an unwillingness to do the unpopular, a tendency to comfort and pander to those who attend religious functions regularly, but not to disturb them by building bridges to other faiths and helping the most miserable in our society and our world in concrete ways.” (p 100) “We somehow think we are ‘being religious’ when we add the words ‘under God’ to the pledge of allegiance, or get into a dispute in trying to post the Ten Commandments at a local school, but the real test of faith is not what we mouth but what we do.” (p 110) “To be a pastor or rabbi or imam for a congregation with a thousand members provides greater status (and usually a better salary) than being the spiritual leader for one hundred fifty members. Sometimes those numbers are important, but they should not be a substitute for quality of service. Leaders should not pander to the whims of the people to build up numbers if that comfort is a substitute for applying faith to life. . . . It is easy for religious leaders of any persuasion to avoid disturbing things. The culture in which we live can smother the possibility of asking ourselves penetrating questions. The religious routine—or perhaps more accurately, the irreligious routine—lets the pastor or priest or rabbi or imam pander to the members of his or her flock who live in comfort, ignoring the needs of those whom their faith suggests we should aid.” (p 116–118) “Once we see our common humanity, it is hard to look at people as enemies, whether they are from another nation, another race, or another religion. If violence in the world is to diminish, we must understand that basic lesson. Exchanges in the field of religion will not occur unless someone plans, someone leads. This may take a little courage. It demands more than silence.” (p 126) Top What SIMON SAYS about Pandering in EDUCATION “The security and economic well-being of the nation are being weakened by all of us—administrators, teachers, parents, and citizens—living too comfortably with superficial pleasantries. The education and legislative leaders who should awaken us to realities generally aren’t doing it. Our deficiencies are compounded when knowledgeable people who understand the improvements we need are so mesmerized by day-to-day duties that long-range demands get ignored, and the inattention is frequently further compounded by lack of courage.” (p 138) “The question for leaders today is more than ‘Can Johnny read?’ A more basic question: Can our students compete with the rest of the world? Our best students can, but far too many are not being adequately prepared. As with any other improvement, a better educational system will come only with sacrifice and hard work, for school administrators, teachers, parents, and students. But what is more important, convenience and longer vacations, or better education? It's easier to drift, easier to pander, than to alter our path.” (p 148) “The excessive use and abuse of academic jargon within the higher education community is an example of pandering internally, producing articles in isolated fields that meet the ‘publish or perish’ criteria but are read by few and contribute as close to nothing as you can get. It is not only the time wasted in writing these almost unreadable articles for tenure, salary, and prestige purposes, this pandering also takes academicians—and inevitably their students—away from the real world.” (p 163) Read an extended biography of Paul Simon http://www.siu.edu/~ppi/About/Staff/simonBio.html Return to the book description of Our Culture of Pandering http://www.siu.edu/~siupress/titles/s03_titles/simon_pandering.htm ------------------------------ Excerpts of remarks by former U.S. Senator Paul Simon at the Wesleyan University Commencement May 25, 1997 Former U.S. Senator Paul Simon Don't let this piece of parchment you get, whether you're getting a Ph.D. or your bachelor's degree, be your intellectual death certificate. Grow intellectually. . . . Continue to grow. Don't stop. . . . Lead in reaching out to others within our nation. We need to reach out across the barriers of race, and religion, and ethnic background, and sexual orientation, and every other barrier that separates Americans--to reach out and make sure opportunity is here for everyone. Almost one-fourth of our children are living in poverty. No other western industrialized nation has anything close to that figure. This is not an act of God. There is no divine intervention that says children in America have to live in poverty more than children in Italy, or Denmark, or Great Britain, or Canada, or other western industrialized nations. It a result of flawed policy. It is a result of policy that panders to those who make campaign contributions rather than to needs . . . I want you to challenge us and to reach out to people within our nation. When we say the pledge of allegiance, we say 'one nation, under God, indivisible.' We ought to be achieving that goal and I want you to help us achieve it . . . . Reach out to those beyond our borders . . . Among the 21 wealthy nations of the world, we are 21st in the percentage of our income that we give to help the poor beyond our borders . . . . You, my friends who are graduating here today, let your mission be not that you will add wealth and degrees and fame, but that you are going to use the tools that have been given to you here at Wesleyan to reach out and help others and make this nation and this world a better place. http://www.wesleyan.edu/newsrel/simon.html ---------------------------------------------------- Searched the web for Senator Paul Simon. REST IN PEACE HONORABLE SENATOR PAUL SIMON!
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