Topic: Ken Burns

Kindness, even well-intentioned, can hurt

By Rev. Charles Moreland | December 2, 2007 |

For some reason, I am still thinking about kindness; the result is this follow-up to last week’s column Kindness: A choice from the heart.

Practicing kindness requires an act of will and can be somewhat stressful to us as we face life realistically. We are encouraged by a spiritual leader named Paul to “be kind to one another,” but that often seems easier said than done. But Paul the Apostle often challenged us to do the uncomfortable and the difficult. It is legitimate to ask ourselves and to consult friends as to how far we go in practicing this trait after someone wrongs us.

Is kindness the first thought when we are betrayed? If we are honest the answer is NO. Recently I negotiated a contract for work done repairing and upgrading our deck. In discussing the job description and price, we came to an agreement both written and verbal. We paid a percentage of the cost up front to cover material for the job. It is now nearly two months since we made this agreement and the work has not even been started. My phone calls are not being returned. No excuse is being offered by the young man, nor has any effort been made to return the significant deposit.

As a person dedicated to being kind, and believing in the gospel of a second chance, what are my options? I am on the verge of getting an attorney and turning the situation over to the legal process. What is the “kind” course of action? Hey, where is the Apostle Paul and his wisdom when I need it? To be honest, I don’t have any kind feelings toward anyone who welshes on a deal. Even after this is settled in court, my confidence and trust in this person is shattered and broken. He will not be permitted on my property again. «Read the rest of this article»

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Selected Chaff: Wartime words from columnist Al McIntosh

By Rev. Charles Moreland | September 30, 2007 |

To further appreciate Ken Burns’ The War as the second half of this PBS series unfolds, I recommend the reading of Selected Chaff: the Wartime Columns of Al McIntosh 1941-1945.

McIntosh’s work was a primary and powerful source for Ken Burns’ research into how The War affected the residents and soldiers of Laverne, Minnesota. Quickly reading Selected Chaff will provide profound insight as you view The War, or in the aftermath of the series.

Selected Chaff resurrects the words of a true journalistic legend, a tireless patriot whose chosen weapons were his typewriter, his uncanny ability to transport people with his words, and his unflinching love of community and country. McIntosh’s columns speak to the ebb and flow of one rural county during the most terrible war the world had ever seen.

“In some ways Al McIntosh might be the single greatest archival discovery that we have ever made.

“This man, who had the opportunity to work at other big city newspapers and turned them down — Al McIntosh, a native of North Dakota who found himself in southwestern Minnesota in this tiny town of three thousand folks, writing for the Rock County Star and the Rock County Star Herald on a front page column — just got it.”

– Ken Burns, filmmaker

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Sections: Arts and Leisure, Opinion | No Comments

The War

By Tom Paine | September 23, 2007 |

Do yourself a big favor: watch Ken Burns’ newest documentary, The War.

In it, Burns captures the American experience of WWII in the words of those who actually fought in the war, or who experienced it on the home front. Be forewarned, it intense and, at times, hard to view.

I came away from the first episode with a feeling of pride and sadness. Pride in what we as a nation were back then; in the men and women who sacrificed, fought, and died to preserve freedom in the world. In their dedication and steadfastness in the face of what seemed then like insurmountable odds. Sadness at how far we have come since then.

The overwhelming sense conveyed by the men and women who recounted their experiences in that great conflict was that of being in it together, of shared sacrifice. Not once during the first episode did I hear anyone complain of how hard it was, what an imposition it was on them to have their world turned upside down and, often, to be thrust into what seemed as close to hell on earth as you can come. Some of the things they recounted were horrible, but never did I detect a hint of self-pity.

Our soldiers today are every bit as brave as those who served in WWII. They face danger daily and do not shirk their duty. But they are being let down by those at home. The sacrifice is not shared: rather than urging sacrifice, the president tells us to go shopping. We are told that this is the most important conflict of our time, but our leaders seem intent on waging war on the cheap, sending in too few troops to do the job right, then not supplying them with enough of the right equipment. «Read the rest of this article»

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Ken Burns’ “The War” comes to PBS

By Rev. Charles Moreland | September 4, 2007 |

“The Second World war brought out the worst as well as the best in a generation, and I think it may also have reflected the last time the United States of America was truly united in one single purpose.” — Ken Burns

The War, a Ken Burns film on World War II, will debut as a seven episode series on PBS, including Nashville Public Television (NPT), on September 23-26 and September 30 through October 2 at 7 p.m. In Clarksville, NPT is seen on Channel 8.

A few years ago, Ken Burns riveted us with his production of The Civil War, a series that electrified , entertained, educated, and aroused our emotions. This new series promises to follow Burn’s groundbreaking tradition and style.

According to information posted by PBS on this series, The War explores “the most intimate human dimensions of the greatest cataclysm in history — a worldwide catastrophe that touched the lives of every family on every street in America.” «Read the rest of this article»

Sections: Arts and Leisure | 1 Comment »