To Rachel,
You've been in the press a lot lately. A recurring theme in those pieces is your struggle with whether being a television pundit is a worthwhile occupation, whether it makes enough of a difference in the world. Some pieces frame this as humility in the face of your new-found fame, others as a more existential Big Life Question™. I suspect it's closer to the latter.
You clearly didn't ask for my opinion on the matter, but I'd like to share it anyway: You are making one hell of a difference. You are, in a very real way, changing the world.
Your impact is partly about reigniting the progressive movement, reminding us that to get anywhere we need to be intelligent, articulate, and thoughtful in our arguments, grounding us in an intellectual framework. But that's just part of it.
A quick sidebar to tell you about myself is in order. I'm 28, lesbian, and quadriplegic. I'm smart, really smart—not bragging, just being honest. I have a burning desire to do something Meaningful™. I often think that if it were not for my disability, I'd be in the Peace Corps or teaching in an underserved community or working 100 hours a week writing grants for a struggling nonprofit. Physically and financially, those dreams are simply out of reach in this lifetime, and I've wrestled with depression for many years as I've come to accept that. Now I'm wrapping up an MA in Transformative Leadership, and contemplating how I can create a meaningful life that makes a difference. Doing so will require creativity, flexibility, and faith.
There are thousands, maybe millions, of people whose life stories are variations on this theme. Outsiders who are grounding themselves in their outsider status rather than assimilating; true agents for change who are learning to work with what they've got rather than bemoaning what they don't.
This is where you come in. You, Dr. Maddow, give us hope. You are one of us, and you're proving that we can succeed in a world that seems to value everything that we are not. Your success is the antidote to all of those other messages and pressures that would seem to limit us.
So are you sleeping under a mosquito net in sub-Sarahan Africa, working to limit the transmission of HIV? No. But you are inspiring a whole generation to do so—or to teach, write, enter academe, enter politics. Just by being on our televisions every night (or our iPods every morning), you are encouraging thousands of people like me to play to our strengths and fight for what we believe in.
If that's not making a difference, I don't know what is.
In peace and admiration,
Becky Blitch
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Comments
Besides her take on progressive issues and balancing the screaming with intelligent discourse, she also provides a striking balance to the old, white guys and Barbie dolls on TV. She is so refreshing to watch. And she provides a role model for my kids (& others), but my 9 yo son just loves her, too.
She IS making a difference and has a powerful presence. I would argue (and I really like Katie Couric) that given the choice of the two, I'd rather see Rachel Maddow as one of the "big three" anchors given the chance.
Great Post,
Highly Rated
Rated.
I wasn't going to actually email this, but after reading all the comments here, I decided "what the hell." Worst case scenario, it winds up in a spam filter, right?
I'm a firm believer that we all need to actually tell people, out loud, how appreciated they are. You can't just assume people know how much they are loved, because chances are, they don't.
So I just extended that rule from friends, family, and colleagues to TV pundits. Geek chic, indeed. /grin
I would actually hate for her to become an anchor, Greg, simply because she would be constrained by the job to be "objective," whatever that means these days. Her importance today is not only the ceiling she is breaking but also the way she approaches her program. Rachel is able to keep her tone light and friendly and is a great person to disarm people who are full of themselves. She actually provides an example for all of us as to how to discuss hard issues with true civility. It is a rare gift.
Becky: After the comments here close, it would be nice if you would copy all of them and send them to Rachel too. I think she would get a kick out of how many of us here on OS think she is tops.
Monte
http://nymag.com/news/media/51822/?f=most-commented-24h-5
Monte
Yes, isn't it nice to have someone on-air, offering information, even better OPINION, but not screaming and ranting, but rather with a smile on her face and a twinkle in her eye?? Especially when you know that it is not an easy road that she has had to hoe to get where she is....
A role model for us all, no matter their ability.
Becky if you can write like this on a blog online there ought to be a way you could write grants for a non-profit or teach online (the teaching particularly after you earn the M.A.) From the blogs you have posted I think you would do a great job.