My Turn at the Bully PulpitElaine LaffertyCrownSeptember 9 2003Welcome to the bully pulpit where opinions fly but common sense rules. Heres where youll find straight talk about the most pressing issues of the day, all delivered in the trademark commonsense style of one of Americas most popular and admired television news anchors. Always resisting the political label that attempts to place people in one ideological camp or another, Greta Van Susteren speaks from the mind and the heart, not as a liberal or a conservative, but as a right-thinking, sensible citizen. Our country is at a critical juncture, she writes, and too many of us are caught up in old definitions of left and right that no longer apply. If I favor the death penalty in some cases, does that make me right-wing? If I think hate crimes legislation is stupid, does that make me a conservative? If I happen to like and enjoy Ozzy Osbourne and have him on my show, does that make me a liberal? And if I believe that corporations should be held accountable if their products harm citizens and they should be subject to the rulings of a juryditto for doctors who commit medical malpracticedoes that make me a lefty trial lawyer?Heres more of Greta in her own words:On the military: Liberty isnt free. As a nation, we must provide for the men and women who put their lives on the line for us. That means good pay, adequate funding for defense, and our heartfelt support. Vietnam was a very long time ago. We Baby Boomers have to wake up and realize that todays military is a different military from the one we grew up with, and we are fighting a very different war. Patriotism is not a conservative or a liberal thing. Patriotism, as far as I am concerned, is the duty and obligation of every American.On the Supreme Court: There should be a litmus test for Supreme Court and federal court judges, and that test should be their opinion about allowing public access to court proceedings. Let cameras inside the courthouse, or at least allow an audio feed to radio. What are they hiding?On the death penalty: It should be legal and available to courts and juries . . . but it should be used extremely rarely, and only when we are absolutely certain that a fair trial has taken place.On how you look: Its your business and nobody elses. Your looks and your life are not a democracynot everybody gets a vote. Make your appearance and your choices a totalitarian regimeyou are the boss.On fun: It isnt a curse word. Its actually quite serious business, as it makes the hard times livable and the sad times bearable. Fun should be part of a work environment, too. Stuffed shirts and snobs who cant stop and laugh at themselves should be banished!In Gretas company youre guaranteed to get a fresh dose of common sense and a good hearty rant on many of the most important issues we face today. One more guarantee: youll have some good fun while youre at it.From the Hardcover edition. About the AuthorGRETA VAN SUSTEREN is host of On the Record with Greta Van Susteren on the Fox News Channel. Prior to her television career she was an attorney and adjunct professor of law at Georgetown University. She writes a monthly column for Mens Health and lives in the Washington, D.C., area. ELAINE LAFFERTY is the Editor in Chief of Ms. magazine. She is a highly respected journalist and foreign correspondent who has written for many publications, including Time, The Nation, and The Irish Times.From the Hardcover edition.About ScrollmotionScrollMotion, creator of the Iceberg Reader, is a content technology company based in New York City. For more information, visit www.scrollmotion.com.SupportIf you have any technical problems please email us at icebergsupport@scrollmotion.com before you post a review.
