Nothing: Often a Good Thing to Do, Always a Good Thing to Say

I rarely suggest that someone decline an interview. After all, with preparation and discipline, an interview can be a good way to deliver your message.

But there are exceptions. For instance, this train wreck on the Today Show where Matt Lauer slices and dices Drew Peterson, the Chicago area cop whose last two wives (he’s had four) have either been murdered (Wife #3) or disappeared(Wife #4). After noting the “coincidence”, the interview gives Lauer an opportunity to matter of factly restate all the evidence against Peterson, and to devastating effect.

Lauer: “How do you respond?”

Peterson: “How can I respond?” or “I can’t respond” or “I don’t know how to respond to that.” Brutal.

But it only gets worse (or better for Lauer) when Peterson’s lawyer sits right next to him, and says more than once “I have to step in here” or “That’s a loaded question.” Next time Drew, while I know it’s good for your lawyer’s business, don’t bring him on the Today Show with you. (Actually, Peterson’s lawyer may be the only guy to benefit from this PR disaster.)
Here’s my question: Why on earth would he agree to this interview?

Well, here’s some experience-based speculation: Sometimes, people get fond of seeing themselves in the media, and forget to ask the basic question “Will this help me or hurt me?” Peterson has shown particularly bad judgment, with a profile in People magazine and an appearance on a radio talk show entitled “Win a Date with Drew Peterson”. Wow.

Peterson may also have fallen for the Today Show producer’s siren song that he would have a chance to “tell your story.” Sometimes, people like Peterson seriously overestimate their ability to talk themselves out of anything. (Here, it’s the job of someone like me to gently say “In reality, you stink at this.”) Also, for this to work, you actually need a good, credible story to tell. In Peterson’s case, not so much.

The only rationale I can think of is the following, and it’s a stretch: let’s say Peterson gets off. This interview will raise his profile in case he writes a book, and, he hopes, increase sales.
Other than that, I’m at a complete loss.

Why the Marines are the Marines

Every great organization has its legends. These stories define the mission and the traditions of the group, and set a standard of performance that current members can strive for. They also encourage others to want to join.

Few groups take more care with their legends than the U.S. Marine Corps. Every Marine knows the stories of the Marines who came before, and no Marine wants to be the one who fails to meet the standard of performance as defined by these legends. Every Marine aspires to be a worthy successor to the Marines who came before.

I’m reminded of this because today marks 63 years since the Marines landed on Iwo Jima in the Pacific during World War II. When the Marines tell their story to new recruits (like me 25 years ago) the story of Iwo Jima is right at the beginning. (The Marines even use video of the famous flag raising on the island in their advertising.)

Telling the Iwo Jima story makes sense for the Marines. It’s a story of great courage. Of the 81 Congressional Medals of Honor (the nation’s highest honor) awarded to Marines in WWII, 22 were awarded for action on Iwo Jima. This is more than for any other battle in American history. The Naval commander Admiral Chester Nimitz said of the Marines on Iwo “uncommon valor was a common virtue.” When you read the citations for the Marines (and five sailors) who received the Medal of Honor on Iwo Jima you will see what he meant.

It also makes it clear that the Marines’ central mission is dangerous, sometimes brutal. During the six week battle for the eight square mile island (about the size of Pawtucket, R.I.) 6,800 Americans were killed. One out of three Americans who landed on the island was killed or wounded. All but a couple hundred of the 22,000 Japanese defenders fought to the death.

When I consider Iwo Jima it’s not long before I get to a sense of gratitude and pride. Gratitude towards the men who fought the battle – combined with the pride of knowing that despite all the distractions a prosperous democracy can create, thisnation still produces men and women who are worthy successors of the Marines on Iwo Jima.

On Second Thought…

We love to complain about “The Media”, but what would happen if there were no journalists and no press coverage? After all, there’s a reason why independent journalists are at the top of government target lists in totalitarian regimes (see; Russia, Zimbabwe, China, etc.). Recently, I worked on a successful anti-recall campaign in a rural New England town, just outside the suburban ring of both Boston and Providence. This geography means that the community in question falls “into the cracks” when it comes to newspaper coverage.

Officially, the town is covered by three dailies (and a monthly shopper). But the reality is that it is too far from the center of each paper’s gravity to get much daily coverage. The journalists at the three papers, all skilled and conscientious, just didn’t have the time to make covering this town a high enough priority to matter. The result of this diminished scrutiny on the local body politic was interesting. Some folks saw an opportunity to cut governmental and political corners that they might not have if the possibility of daily scrutiny was higher. The caliber of political discourse and the degree of accuracy in town politics declined as well, while the local police department was outwardly political in a way that I had never come close to seeing before. And almost all of this went uncovered, falling like a tree in the forest.

So complain if you will – and there’s plenty to question – but a brief foray into a world without (much) media scrutiny reminded me of Churchill’s wry defense of democracy – it has it’s drawbacks, but it’s better than the alternatives.

While we’re here, a couple things worth reading – in “The Media”:

- Christoper Hutchens considers the role of his writings in the decision of a young soldier to enlist – and that soldier’s death in Iraq.

- The New York Times makes the case for the rule of law as central to the American Ideal.

- The Providence Journal’s Froma Harrop exposes the tawdry “value proposition” of the Spears Family Business.

- An extreme rarity: a thoughtful, reasoned piece about immigration.

A Therapeutic Moment

The Good News: I like iced tea, so I was glad when Dunkin’ Donuts started brewing it and selling it. The Bad News: Sunday night it took the chain four tries to get my order (medium, black, unsweetened) right. At the DD at 6166 Post Road in North Kingstown (where I made the mistake of driving away without taste testing first) the first try tasted like iced coffee. When I drove around again, the second did, too. The young lady at the window explained: Maybe it’s because we had trouble with the tea brew basket, so we took the coffee brew basket and made tea with it. Could be…

At my next stop, in Attleboro, their first try (3rd total) had sugar in it. I learned this in time because I’ve taken to protecting myself against missed orders by doing something that I hate doing, because it’s so obnoxious – I sit at the window and take a sip before I go. I hate to admit this, but it’s becoming the only way to make certain that you find out in time if you’re getting what you paid for. “No, I didn’t order Sweet n’ Low.” On try number four, I hit paydirt.

Why is service such a challenge for some places? I had breathtakingly bad experiences at Macy’s and Sears over the weekend as well. But then, I had a great experience with AAA’s East Providence office.

You can be sure I’ll renew my membership with AAA, and recommend them to others. Meanwhile, I’ll look for ways to shop around Macy’s and Sears, and I’ll get iced tea at Starbucks whenever I can.