Congress Deserves the Blame

There's no longer any rational scenario that could lead an impartial observer to the conclusion that Special Prosecutor Kenneth Starr is objective. But, then again, it's not all his fault.
The real culprit is Congress itself -- and not only Republicans but many Democrats as well.
The creation of an independent special prosecutor was not well thought out by our nation's legislators when the office was created. It is fatally flawed because it leaves the door wide open for political abuse, which could not have been made more clear by the endless investigations of President Clinton.

TV Repetition Ad Nauseum

The growing sensationalism of the media, especially television, magnifies half truths and outright lies at the expense of thoughtful, reasoned evaluation. Commentators, through repetition ad nauseam of unproved accusations, have attempted to sway Americans' opinions against the president.
Many of these same commentators wring their hands over the consistent views expressed by near-record numbers of Americans in various polls that the president continues to be doing his job well. They like to shake their heads and say that Americans, at the same time, do not rate him high on personal ethics (Do you suppose this could be attributed to the constant, unsubstantiated personal attacks?)

Americans Smell a Rat

If there's one thing Americans have been known for over the years it's fairness. Sure, you can fool some of the people some of the time, as (President) Lincoln pointed out, but Americans smell a rat when procedures they normally use are sidestepped.
Here's what's wrong: If you are the victim of wild and unsubstantiated charges, fairness dictates that they first be investigated objectively, and, then, if evidence is uncovered, it is presented to a grand jury to determine whether there should be an indictment.
From the beginning, in Clinton's case, there was no credible evidence of wrongdoing. Nevertheless it was decided to appoint a special prosecutor rather than conduct an objective investigation.

Witch Hunt Authorized

On top of that, the unelected prosecutor was given great powers and funds -- not to objectively determine whether there was evidence of a crime, but rather to search and keep searching for anything he could find. And, obviously, if he can't find anything, he can just keep looking -- and not worry about how long it takes or how much money it costs.
Some people react to the constant and repeated accusations by believing there must be some truth to some of them in the same way that some people read of someone's arrest and believe the accused must be guilty or the police would not have made an arrest. But that's why we have trials; not everyone tried is found guilty.
Do you suppose Starr will keep his investigation going right up to Election Day?
Congress should rethink the special prosecutor legislation and, heaven forefend, remove politics from the whole procedure. Or at least allow investigations to wend their way through the normal and proper legislative process.

I wrote this column as a "My View" for The Hour newspaper of Norwalk, Conn., on May 9, 1998.

Being Good Ought To Be Good Enough

What's wrong with being good?

I've always felt that being good is, well, good enough!

The more I read, listen to the radio and watch television, the more I see that others don't feel the same way. It seems that many people have a congenital urge to be "the best."

Hurry Up . . . And Wait

Usually, it's the Type A personalities. You know, the kind of guy who's not going anywhere, but he just has to get there in a hurry. He's the one who, when your foursome's about to play a round of golf at Oak Hills or Shorehaven (in Norwalk, Conn.), pulls out his watch on the first tee to estimate how quickly he can finish the 18 holes.

People -- especially those on radio and TV and even some newspapermen -- can't seem to survive without hyperbole. In winter, it's not sufficient for weather reporters to talk about the big storm heading our way; it simply isn't enough to say the expected 14 inches of snow will be accompanied by 35 mph winds and gusts of 60 mph.

'Storm of the Century'

Those are merely facts, or at least prognostications. To do it right, any reporter worth his salt will add some drama by forecasting the impending "Storm of the Century."

Calling it anything less would be criminal -- at least until the next Storm of the Century in a week or two!
Same thing with trials. Who would pay any attention to the O.J. Simpson case if it weren't the "Trial of the Century?" If you thought the Bruno Richard Hauptmann trial for the murder of Charles Lindberg Jr. in 1934 was the century's most dramatic and significant trial, forget it!

Anyway, that century's over; we have a new one. Perhaps some eager young TV reporter will make a name for himself soon by labeling his next report the "Storm of the Millennium."

'Entertainer of the Century'

Speaking of millenniums, the century's first TV Guide has crowned Elvis Presley "Entertainer of the Century." Incredibly, it thinks we'll agree with its picks for the Top 10 "Century Club," led by Presley. The other nine are, in order, Marilyn Monroe, the Beatles, Frank Sinatra, Jimmy Stewart, Michael Jordon, Johnny Carson, Katharine Hepburn and Mickey Mouse.

Just for the record, I don't agree -- not by a long shot!

These are all fine entertainers, sure, but TV Guide's strained efforts to come up with "the best" is "the worst." It may sell magazines, but it does little else.

The Best: Bing Crosby

I don't expect anyone to agree, but, if one has to pick "the best," my choice would be singer, actor, entertainer -- and a pretty good golfer, too -- Bing Crosby. He recorded over 2,000 songs and influenced generations of singers. Longevity counts.

TV Guide's selections are obviously geared to the present generation; it simply doesn't take the entire century into account.

Foolish Comparisons

 Some names to ponder: Enrico Caruso, Clark Gable, Lillian Gish, Laurence Olivier, Greta Garbo, W.C. Fields, Spencer Tracy, Harold Lloyd, Errol Flynn, Bob Hope -- and the list goes on. Comparisons are foolish, especially by anyone who never even heard of Eddie Cantor; entertainers, and others, must be judged in their own time.

Does Jack Benny compare to Douglas Fairbanks Jr.? Or, Fibber McGee and Molly to Elvis?

I wrote this column for The Hour newspaper of Norwalk, Connecticut, on April 2, 2000.

'Contract With America' a Failed Strategy

The road to hell, it's been said, is paved with good intentions.
While always praiseworthy, good intentions can, if you're not careful, take you down the wrong road.
Newt Gingrich  (pictured below) and his band of freshmen extremists in the House of Representatives have been traveling down the wrong road from the day they embraced the so-called Contract With America.

Their vote Friday to assure funding of politically sensitive programs and to allow furloughed workers to go back on the job -- with the necessary funds to operate -- was merely a strategy designed to forestall mounting criticism.
Holding government workers hostage for nearly two weeks, and attempting to use them as leverage in their negotiations with President Clinton, was (and is) just plain wrong.
Newt and his freshmen legislators may believe a balanced budget to be so important that it warrants extreme measures, but such a view is not only extremist but short-sighted as well.
Extremism, as policy, may achieve some short-term goals, but rarely is it successful in the long run because it invariably generates backlash that inevitably wipes out any short-term gains.
Gingrich and the freshmen were elected because they sought reforms that many Americans believe are needed. But, instead of going about the business of the House and taking up those proposals in the natural order of things, Gingrich decided on a strategy of bringing the government to a virtual standstill until he could say he delivered his Contract With America.
The strategy didn't work.
It wasn't because the House didn't spend enough time and effort on the contract; nor because it didn't win approval. Rather, the strategy failed because the contract is defective.
It's the job of the House to consider bills proposed by its members, hold hearings and gather facts about the issues involved, and, generally, amend the proposal to make it viable. Only then does it make sense to approve the legislation and, if endorsed by the Senate, send it to the president for his signature.
Gingrich, and the freshmen congressmen who signed on to the contract, thought they could turn the House of Representatives upside down and reverse the process: Issue a political agenda and demand it be approved, virtually without hearings or debate.
There's little doubt Gingrich and the Republican Party leadership believe they're right in following the road to a balanced budget, smaller government, a thriving economy and re-election in November. But many Americans don't like the road they're traveling; they've gone beyond politics-as-usual to new heights of intransigence and arrogance.

 Here's what Mitt Romney, Republican Standard Bearer in 2012, had to say about New Gingrich's Contract With Americ tactics (video above, right.)

Gingrich and his followers try to portray President Clinton as dishonest, and continually lash out at him for failing to come up with a balanced budget. But Americans know he's doing the right thing in working to protect children, the poor and the elderly (after all, many Americans are children, or poor or elderly.)
Newt and his freshmen extremists have reached a crossroads, and would be well advised to follow a more moderate path.
Is it possible this whole strategy is designed to make Bob Dole look like a moderate?

The Hour Newspaper: What's In It for Me?

If you work for The Hour's News Department, you always think local.
Norwalk, Westport, Ridgefield, Georgetown, Redding, (CT) Vista and Lewisboro (N.Y.) are not exactly foreign, either.
If you're reading The Hour, you're looking for late "breaking" news that interests you or affects you directly, or about your club, your church or your baseball, basketball, football or soccer team. You want to know how your local leaders are handling the day-to-day work of your local government as well as how local businesses are doing their thing.
If you're anything like me, you find the letters to the editor, the opinion columns and the editorials among the most enjoyable reading. And, at my advanced age, I'm not alone in taking a special interest in the obituaries.

Emphasis on Local News

While The Hour emphasizes local news, it provides a sampling of national and world news; but you don't buy this paper primarily for that! Not that you don't care about state, national, international or other news, but you can keep pretty well informed about those things through other sources.
I've seen a lot of changes since joining The Hour in November 1968 as a general assignment reporter. I spent a decade covering Norwalk government and politics as a reporter -- where the important work is done in any real newspaper -- before going into the sedentary life of a copy editor.
The paper was only about 103 years old then; as you can see by the flag on Page One, it's been around since 1871. It's gone from Linotype to offset printing (in the '70s) and, nowadays, everything's pretty much done by computer.

Unique Newspapers

But, no matter how a community newspaper is produced, the news -- local news -- remains its end product.
Community newspapers like The Hour are unique; they are a business, of course, but a business unlike any other. They (reporters and editors, particularly) not only produce a one-of-a-kind product but feel an obligation -- the good ones anyway -- to provide a service to their communities.

Keeping Up With the Times

There's a lot of talk these days about the myriad problems newspapers in general have had keeping up with the times in these days of the Internet and so-called Information Highway -- not to mention cable and network television.
Some are even saying that our younger generation is bedazzled by TV, and now the Internet, and is losing interest in reading itself. Somehow, however, books and magazines seem to be attracting their share of readers.

Newspapers Slow in Adapting

The newspaper industry as a whole has been slow in adapting to the new environment. I can't help thinking of the trouble radio had adapting to the advent of television in the late '40s and '50s. (Personally, I prefer radio to TV and find it perplexing that radio doesn't try harder to compete by offering its own comedy and drama as it did in the old days.)
As an editor, I've always counseled young reporters struggling with their stories with this piece of philosophy: If you forget everything else and think only of what the readers want and need, you'll have no trouble deciding what's newsworthy.

I wrote this column as a "My View" for The Hour newspaper of Norwalk, Conn., on April 1, 1999. I now write my views on a wide variety of topics on hubpages.com.

Comments

ColdWarBaby

I spent most of my life in Connecticut. I didn't miss it for a long time. The cold, shoveling snow, the ice storms were things I always wanted to escape. That has changed of late. Steep Rock park, Falls Village, Kent Falls and many other places I haunted in my youth are calling to me now. I doubt I will ever see them again.
I hope you don't mind me asking but I can't help noticing you post a lot of articles you composed quite some time ago. Have you stopped writing new material or are these just pieces you are very fond of?

William F. Torpey 

Most of my life has been spent in Connecticut as well, ColdWarBaby, but it was mostly in Fairfield County. We had all those wintry storms, too, but the weather's a tiny bit better along the Long Island Sound (if you're close enough.) But my early years in Yonkers, N.Y., have had a great influence on me. I never really considered myself a Nutmegger.
I don't mind your asking at all, ColdWarBaby. I haven't exactly stopped writing new material, but after I retired in June of 2000 I took a little respite. Then, when I found HubPages, I decided I would gather up my old columns and publish all of them before starting any new projects. I still have about 20 old columns to type into the computer and gather photos and links, etc. I have a number of hubs I am planning to write as soon as all that is done. A while ago, I wrote a new hub on my cousin, Michael Torpey, and this week I published a new hub to help promote the ebook of my friend, Linda Palucci, who wrote about the trials and tribulations of her husband's cancer and death, and her efforts to cope with it. Since you've expressed an interest in them I'll leave you the URL's here:
http://hubpages.com/_wwft/hub/Michael-Torpey
http://hubpages.com/_wwft/hub/Surviving-the-Death-

ColdWarBaby 

Actually I've been thinking about digging out some very old ramblings and seeing what might be made of them. I'm just not sure how fiction and poetry would go over in this venue.

Thanks for the links.

William F. Torpey

"Old ramblings," ColdWarBaby, become "history." If you put it to a vote, I'll cast mine in favor of your publishing all your fiction and poetry here.

compu-smart 

William,
No matter what subjects written, there will always be readers, especially if the stories are newsworthy and your stories never let me down!
I don't know what the future is for newspapers and the new Internet medium!, but what I do know is that if you had not published this article here, just like all your other topics you discuss, I would never! have ever! had the chance to read especially as a UK citizen!
Keep on writing!

William F. Torpey

You are very kind, as always, compu-smart. It is very rewarding for me to know that bright, good, intelligent people like you in the UK, and elsewhere, read and get something out of my scribblings. It is always my hope that the opinions I express in my columns/hubs make a worthy contribution to the subject. I only wish I had your skills in technology -- but I learn a lot from you and your hubs. I particularly love your Celebrity Birthday hubs and your blogs.

Woody Marx 

Good review and I picked out this sentence as a pearl of true wisdom, since it applies not only to news-writers but really to writers of all types...
"As an editor, I've always counseled young reporters struggling with their stories with this piece of philosophy: If you forget everything else and think only of what the readers want and need..."

William F. Torpey

Thanks, Woody. In today's environment it's easy to forget your target audience and go off on a tangent. I learned newswriting from some very saavy, old school journalists who would brook no fluff. If you're off target, or if you ramble, you can lose your readers in a flash!

Just a Few Rambling Thoughts

 

If you're anything like me -- although that seems unlikely in view of the fact that my "friends" all tell me I'm "one of a kind," if you know what I mean -- you've stored up over the years a few pet peeves, or observations, that you'd be happy to tell the world about if only you had a forum.
I've accumulated a long list of "pet peeves" I'd like to shout from the rooftops, and every now and then, new observations are added.
In the hope that someone who can do something to assuage my concerns is listening (or reading), I'm taking advantage of this forum to relate just a few.

Punishment Should Fit the Crime

* Erasing the criminal records of people who are given accelerated rehabilitation instead of a trial: Not a good idea. I realize that some of our jails are filled to capacity, but violators of the law should be given punishment appropriate to the severity of their crime. They should not be given sentences simply for the state's convenience; sentences should be neither too soft nor too severe, and individuals should not be treated differently merely to make a so-called example of them. When criminals have repaid their debts to society, they should be allowed to work and rehabiliate themselves, but their records should not be buried in the sand. If they should strike again, we'll know it's not their first offense.

Flashing Red Lights Ignored

* Flashing red lights: I frequently encounter the traffic light at the intersection of Main Avenue and Broad Street (Norwalk) when it is in its flashing red light mode in the evening. Much to my surprise, virtually nobody stops. When I took my driving test to obtain my driver's license some years ago, drivers were required to know that you should slow down for a flashing yellow light, but you must stop at a flashing red light before proceeding. More importantly, not only do the cars fail to stop, they fly by without as much as tapping on their brakes. Motorists take note!

Abuse of Authority

* Police roadblocks: While the courts have allowed police roadblocks for a variety of purposes -- as long as they are indiscriminate -- I don't believe the U.S. Constitution actually contains authority for such roadblocks. Police establish roadblocks to check such things as emission stickers, but, in truth, they use this clandestine method to look for other, more serious violations. Sounds like a good idea -- until you think of its ramifications in terms of the preservation of our liberties.

True Cost of Corporate Welfare

* Corporate welfare: I haven't got a thing against the conduct of legitimate business, but corporate welfare in all its forms is deplorable. It's even more expensive than the much-maligned programs for needy individuals. As with individual welfare cases, the problem is not so much what is done, but how it's done. The true cost of corporate welfare is buried deeply in complicated accounting journals of corporations and government.

Laws of Incorporation

Write-offs, tax breaks, low-cost loans, inflated contracts and outright grants stealthily dig into taxpayers' pockets. If we think it wise to give corporations huge sums of money, why not do it out in the open, aboveboard, so everyone knows what's happening. Let the corporations ask Congress for what they want -- and then justify their proposals the way everyone else must do. The laws of incorporation already give these companies huge advantages over everyone else.
I wrote this column as a "My View" for The Hour newspaper of Norwalk, Conn., on Aug. 10, 1996.

Comments:

 compu-smart 4 years ago  from London UK

Hi William, I wish i could write all my pet peeves but it would end up with more words than the bible!!One peeve of mine is red lights ..Over here "UK" it is quite common to stop at a red light no matter what time of day it is and there will be no cars at all coming the other way! and i think the government do this on purpose so drivers waste petrol..it really needs sorting out...


 William F. Torpey 4 years ago  from South Valley Stream, N.Y.Thanks, compu-Smart. I know exactly what you mean. Worst of all is stopping for a red light at 2 in the morning when no one is around. Those lights seem to be especially long!

pjdscott 4 years ago  from Durham, UK
I read your comments about justice/criminals with interest; a thoughtful piece of writing. The UK seems to be following you - criminals seem to have more rights than their victims. It seems senseless for states/countries to spend much money, resources, time etc convicting criminals, only to release them again after a 'rap on the knuckles'. Likewise, it is crazy to erase their former records, particularly since many re-offend.

William F. Torpey 4 years ago  from South Valley Stream, N.Y. Thanks for your kind remarks, pjdscott. It doesn't make sense to me, either.

robie2 3 years ago  from Central New JerseyWell, I don't get irked at red lights--but I hate fellow motorists on narrow roads who ride my bumper and get annoyed that  I don't drive like Mario Andretti.  As for corporate welfare--it's only gotten worse since 1996 and I have only two words to say about it to wit: Fannie and Freddie :-)

Christoph Reilly 3 years ago  from St. Louis I have to agree across the board. You are very disciplined  to keep the list to 5. Thanks for a great hub.

William F. Torpey 3 years ago  from South Valley Stream, N.Y. I think tailgaters have a bigger ego than a brain, robie2. They actually believe they can stop on a dime while rolling along at 65 miles an hour. Not only annoying, but dangerous. It seems the big corporations need not fear failure anymore as long as they can rely on the government to bail them out.

William F. Torpey 3 years ago  from South Valley Stream, N.Y.
One of the fundamentals of newspaper writing, Christoph Reilly, is that you must write to fit the space available. The "My View" feature of the The Hour newspaper was always exactly one-column long. My favorite editorial advice to reporters who turned in copy that was too long was to tell them to cut it down to size "but don't leave anything out." By the way, my friend and former editor, John Reilly, wrote this "My View" that I think you'll like: http://hubpages.com/_wwft/hub/After-All--Whats-in-

Patty Inglish, MS 3 years ago  from North America  two thumbs up!

William F. Torpey 3 years ago  from South Valley Stream, N.Y. You are very kind, Patty. Thanks.

JamaGenee 21 months ago  from Central Oklahoma Had to laugh at your useless red light! On a highway I now travel twice daily, there's a set of traffic lights (red, green, and yellow) literally in the middle of nowhere. It's visible from a mile or more in either direction, and only changes to yellow, then red, when a vehicle trips the sensor at the crossroad.  Meaning that those who use that stretch of road quickly learn to slow down a bit a half mile away and the light will be green again by the time one reaches the intersection. A vehicle wishing to turn onto or cross the highway from any other point for miles in either direction has to wait for a break in traffic, so I suspect some local bigwig who lives out there got it installed for personal convenience.  A total waste of tax dollars IMO.

The small town nearest to me has two traffic lights that are set to stay red much too long.  That inconvenience is rectified, however, from 9:30 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. when the lights are flashing yellow. I come through that town regularly during those hours and have ever seen only one car - with out-of-state tags, mind you - slow down at the "yellow" intersections. Locals (myself included) don't even bother.

Don't even get me started on corporate welfare!

William F. Torpey 21 months ago  from South Valley Stream, N.Y. Thanks, JamaGenee. If I didn't have other priorities I could easily write a book about absurd traffic lights and signs. My most recent concern, however, is the failure of authorities to keep the white lines on the traffic lanes white, especially in poorly lit areas. Also, there are many left or right turn lanes here on Long Island, but unless the cross streets are identified in advance (as is done often in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and occasionally here) one doesn't know to get on them in time. Traffic signs should be directed toward out-of-towners, not local folks who already know the street patterns.

JamaGenee 21 months ago  from Central Oklahoma Yes, Bill, those white lines need to be repainted...ASAP! Just the other night, in pouring rain, had I not known exactly where the highway curves as it goes from two-lane to 4-lane, the white lines had faded so much that I could easily have driven into oncoming traffic. In fact, on that section, the lines are barely visible in daylight. Sounds like rectifying this situation nationwide could put a LOT of people back to work and move the economy forward on several levels.  But, of course, public officials don't see it that way.

William F. Torpey 21 months ago  from South Valley Stream, N.Y. Part of the problem, JamaGenee, is that we carry on great debates about giving tax cuts to the wealthy, denying Medicare and Social Security to the elderly and patting down airline passengers, but rarely mention highway signs, traffic signals or needed white lines on our roads or scores of other mundane but important issues. The Letters to the Editor section of newspapers have always been one of my favorite features because these "little" issues could get some traction. I guess now that newspapers are losing favor we'll have to rely on comments posted on Internet sites. Thanks for keeping these issues alive.