A lot of us remember growing up with Mr Rogers as one of our earliest neighbors. His show (Mr Rogers Neighborhood) filled in the gaps left by Sesame Street (here are two (1) (2) of my favorite sequences).
But Mr Rogers was far more than the host of a children’s show- his conviction and compassion for children is incredibly evident in this ***1969 speech to congress***. Former president Lyndon Johnson had allocated a $20mn grant corporation for Public Broadcasting Corporation, but President Nixon wanted it cut in half for the Vietnam War. The Senate held a hearing to discuss the issue, and Mr Rogers rose to the challenge. Deciding to set aside his prepared speech, Mr Rogers fires away with words straight from his heart. And a brilliant choice it is. His speech is engaging, compelling, and ultimately moving- they get the grant.
But don’t worry, Mr Rogers knows how to have fun, he’s a very hip guy. Check out how he identifies cutting edge movements, such as breakdancing. Mr Rogers doing the wave? Priceless.
ps If a single doubt remains in your mind about the goodness of Mr Rogers, consider this story:
Fred Rogers drove a plain old Impala for years. One day, however, the car was stolen from the street near the Children’s Television Workshop. When Rogers filed a police report, the story was picked up by every newspaper, radio and media outlet around town. Within 48 hours the car was left in the exact spot where it was taken from, with an apology on the dashboard. It read, “If we’d known it was yours, we never would have taken it.”
Posted by pristinemind 