Editorial: Apology Accepted
By Ed Downs
Quoted from the March 24 television airing of the CBS Program, The Amazing Race:
“Parts of last Sunday’s episode, filmed in Vietnam, were insensitive to a group that is very important to us: our nation’s veterans.
“We want to apologize to veterans – particularly those who served in Vietnam – as well as their families and any viewers who were offended by the broadcast.
“All of us here have the most profound respect for the men and women who fight for our country.”
If you are a regular viewer of CBS’s Sunday evening program, The Amazing Race, you know what the above apology is all about. To be sure, this apology is appropriate and viewed as a sincere acceptance of responsibility for having wronged a generation of Americans who have suffered greatly. The question that remains, however, is why circumstances should ever have developed in a way as to require such an apology and whether or not consequences have been shared by those who caused this egregious program to have been aired in the first place.
As aviators, we have become accustomed to an adversarial media and foolish versions of aviation plots being portrayed in movies and television. We have learned that no matter how hard we try, reporters use incorrect terminology, movies portray pilots flying planes with the motions and force needed to guide a team of horses and television news sensationalizes aviation stories with the axiom, “if it bleeds, it leads.” Sure, we write letters, tweet our brains out, plead for help from alphabet groups and finally, develop a thick skin. Now, do not misunderstand the intent of this observation. This writer is not suggesting one simply give up. All of us involved in our remarkable industry, be it for business or recreation, must participate in preserving the rights to navigable airspace that all Americans enjoy, as verified by Title 49 of Federal law. Our forefathers learned that rights are never granted, but defended.
It is this expectation of media abuse that caused this writer and his wife to be slow on the pick up as we watched the March 17 edition of the CBS show, The Amazing Race. Yes, I must admit to enjoying this “reality show,” not so much for the interpersonal drama, but for wonderment of the incredible logistics involved in production of this series. We have enjoyed glimpses into foreign cultures and sometimes strange local traditions. I also realize that this, and other, so-called “reality shows” are carefully managed and produced, with specific entertainment and commercial value in mind at all times. To be sure, for every minute of taping that makes the small screen, hours of taping end up “on the cutting room floor.” It is with this skepticism and understanding that we stared at the screen as Amazing Race participants visited Hanoi, Vietnam.
Contestants in the world-wide race were entertained by visiting a “patriotic play” in which Vietnamese youth sang the praises of a glorious and triumphant communist system. Subtitles were included so that viewers could be completely immersed in propaganda worthy of famed Chinese productions created during the murderous cultural revolution of the late 60s and early 70s. Millions were killed, imprisoned and disgraced, all with “patriotic” music playing in the background and propaganda posters bearing anti-west slogans. Images of a god-like Mao Zedong were everywhere. The “patriotic” songs being “enjoyed” by Amazing Race contestants were directly copied from the Chinese productions, as were the posters and slogans, which contestants were required to memorize. In this case, the image in the background was that of Ho Chi Min, a tyrant who brutally attacked the people of an independent South Vietnam and later implemented his own version of a cultural revolution following America’s withdrawal from the Vietnam.
We sat in our television chairs, arranged much like Archie and Edith (that is disturbing!), silent. Sue, a past political activist and I, an Air Force veteran of both the Cold War and Vietnam war years, stared in disbelief. Sue finally turned to me and asked, “Am I actually seeing what I think I’m seeing? Yes, she was, and it got worse.
Next, the contestants raced to what would normally be a cultural landmark, but in this case it was the site of a wrecked B-52, now arranged in what the show’s host cheerfully referred to as the “B-52 Memorial.” This was no “memorial,” but a monument celebrating the death of American Airmen, with a plaque pronouncing the defeat of American imperialism. This writer’s stunned silence erupted into anger, as my brothers in arms died in that plane, as did thousands of others, with many more ending up in torturous prisons for years more.
For the next several days, I fumed, sent e-mails and wondered, what possible agenda could the producers of this television show have? As it turned out, hundreds of thousands, maybe even millions did the same. But the question remains. Why would the producers of a series that has been remarkably neutral while visiting countries around the world have suddenly taken on an anti-American slant so insulting that one could only assume there was formal cooperation between production management and the propaganda arm of the Vietnamese government. The only thing missing was a guest visit by Jane Fonda. One recalls that only last season Turkey was a featured country. One wonders how the New Zealand born host of the Amazing Race would have felt if Turkish monuments celebrating the enormous suffering of brave Australian and New Zealand troupes during the WWI battle of Gallipoli had been a fun-filled race destination.
This writer visited many websites, blogs and tweet streams to see if others agreed with my shock and dismay. Yes, an overwhelming number of comments were highly critical of the message carried by this program, but another line of comments also developed. A large number of commenters stepped forward to extol “the right to free speech” and “get over it.” I have read tweets and comments that basically say we need to “forgive and forget,” and that outrage is unwarranted, “forget the past and simply get on with life.” There was a strong trend towards, “Why worry, let’s just move on and have some fun.” It is those who do not understand the insult that worries this writer the most, much more than the insult itself.
After some thought, it occurred to this writer that there may be two ways of viewing life in America: those who consider being American as a “condition” and those who consider being American as an “action.” Many look to America as one would a beautiful, spring weekend, simply “there,” as if provided by magic for their enjoyment. There is no past and no future, simply take all the good from the weekend that you can and enjoy. Why worry, why remember the past, simply enjoy the spring weekend and move on. Does that sound familiar, like maybe something for the H.G. Wells book, The Time Machine? Does the reader remember the simple, benign people called the “Eloi” who lived in an idyllic, no-stress, worry free environment provided by the evil “Morlocks?” The Eloi let somebody else worry about providing the infrastructure, food, lodgings, future security and toys through which life could be enjoyed. Do you remember the results? If not, go to your favorite search engine and be ready for a shocker.
As pilots, we know the truth behind that beautiful spring weekend. In front and behind of that weekend weather lay moving pressure patterns, storms and wind. We know it will not last. We know that we must act to stay ahead of weather moving in from behind and to prepare for storms to come. We know that our future is based upon action, both past and future. We must remember and admire those who have served our country with honor and learn from those who have made mistakes. Certainly, the sacrifices of our veterans should not be degraded by an entertainment production company so weak minded as to not recognize that they are being used by foreign propagandists. I feel sorry for contestants involved in this disgrace. They may have been caught so much by surprise that they were not able to react as they should have, or perhaps their views ended up on the “cutting room floor,” as the truth did not meet agenda demands.
Yes, this writer was angered, but mostly disappointed. To be sure, the apology is warranted and accepted. This Amazing Race fan will continue to watch the show and be amazed as contestants flit from country to country without a hitch, while I cannot seem to get though a single TSA check point in Tulsa without having every snack in my carry-on confiscated by hungry federal agents. This television blunder serves to remind us that the Morlocks are out there, ready and willing to take away our right to seek adventure in the skies and fly over a country filled with heroes, villains, history and the honor of those who have acted to make our country what it is. Kick the tires, light the fires, and enjoy the freedom of flight. But never forget the sacrifices of those who paid the ultimate price for that precious freedom. The responsibility to protect what we hold so dear now falls to us.
