Brasstacks Moderators Should Respect all Callers and Views

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Letter from Brooklyn

Walter Blackman




Tucker Carlson


                                                                        


 


Michael Headley



  



By Michael Headley

On a daily basis, I, like many other listeners, enjoy listening to VOB''s Getting Down to Brass tacks.  On any given day the talk show can be entertaining, funny, educational, informative or controversial, as callers voice their differing opinions on various topics.  And most Moderators allow for spirited give-and-take, to enlighten the listening audience.  

However, on January 26, in order to support his disbelief in so-called Global warming, a caller mentioned that he listens to Tucker Carlson - an American Fox Network Television host.  Carlson had recently exposed the hypocrisy of the climate change enthusiasts, who warned about carbon emissions, but had all arrived in Davos, Switzerland by planes, to attend the conference.   The Moderator, Walter Blackman, referred to the caller's disbelief as a conspiracy theory and didn't agree with the caller's reference either.  He told the caller that 'if you listen to Tucker Carlson that explains the level of your thinking'. That response was insulting to the caller.  This arrogant behavior is not conducive to this forum, and I was not surprised that a subsequent female caller, and a WhatsApp Messager also reprimanded the Moderator for his insensitivity. 

Also, on January 11, the same moderator was somewhat dismissive of another caller who had aired his views on the probable ill effects of marijuana use.  The caller stated that it was ironic that after decriminalizing the carrying of small quantities, the 'caring government' was now trying to control marijuana abuse.  Looks like the genie is out of the bottle.  The discussion ended with the caller admonishing the Moderator to do more research on possible addiction.

Moderators must not let their partisan views cloud the discussions, but skillfully conceal their biases, and treat all callers with a modicum of respect.  Always remember the words from the poem Desiderata '...Speak your truth quietly and clearly; listen to others, even to the dull and the ignorant, they too have their story'.  So, let's get down to brass tacks!


Michael Headley is a social commentator , based in Brooklyn, New York 


Editor's note: Brasstacks is a popular Radio Call -In  Show in Barbados



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