May 2000

Babu -- Commentator Martha Ann Overland is living in Delhi, India. She has a cook who speaks English. But soon she realizes that he has no idea what she is saying - which leads to some major misunderstandings.

Old Man -- When treating the mentally ill, doctors and nurses often try to learn what is going on in the patient's mind. But, as commentator Elissa Ely discovered, it is not always helpful to the PATIENT to have to share his thoughts.

Clinton & Putin -- NPR Senior News Analyst Daniel Schorr says President Clinton's upcoming meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin is unlikely to yield breakthroughs, but could present new ideas on one topic -- Chechnya.

Korea 50th Anniversary -- Two commentaries on the Korean War. One on the fight at the Chosin Reservoir from Martin Russ, author of Breakout: The Chosin Reservoir Campaign, Korea 1950. And one from James Brady, the author of The Coldest War: A Memoir of Korea. Brady says that the time has come to pay more attention to the Korean war.

Video Piracy -- Ann McBride Norton lives in Kunming, in southwest China. As members of Congress struggle over whether or not to give China permanent normal trade status, the reality for her is an open market of pirated American music and videos that are high in quality and inexpensive.

Microsoft - Bigness -- Commentator Ralph Schoenstein says the government's drive to split up Microsoft goes against the American fetish for bigness -- in stores, football players, movie audiences, salaries, etc.

Peace - Analysis -- NPR Senior News Analyst Daniel Schorr laments the violence which, though "background noise" a week ago, is now disrupting the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

Black Voice -- Recently a state supreme court allowed a police officer to testify that an unknown voice on an audio tape sounded like a black male -- the defendant. Commentator Lis Wiehl says this decision to allow a witness to identify a person's race based on his or her voice, is like court sanctioned racial stereotyping.

Backwards Day -- Commentator Daniel Ferri reflects on "Backwards Day" at the school where he teaches sixth grade in Chicago. On "Backwards Day," everyone wears their clothing backwards. Ferri ponders the advantages of carrying things a step further.

Hersh and History -- NPR Senior News Analyst Daniel Schorr remarks on the Hersh - McCaffery controversy, and Seymour Hersh's journalistic reputation.

Morning Circle -- Commentator Bill Harley says grown-ups could learn about problem solving from Morning Circle -- a daily gathering of kindergartners sharing their stories and problems.

Militia -- During his trip to Moscow, commentator Jeffrey Taylor encountered Militiamen who tried to extort a bribe from him. Taylor says this experience made him realize how corruption in Russia is not so easy to dismiss as morally wrong - that many Russians resort to extortion simply to be able to feed their families.

Churchill -- Sixty years ago tomorrow, May 13, 1940, Winston Churchill first spoke the famous words, "blood, tears, toil and sweat." Tonight commentator Robert Trout remembers that day.

Spring Lamb -- Commentator Jay Weinstein explains why farm raised lamb is making a small comeback in America.

Starr -- The policies that determine who can and cannot give blood in the U.S. haven't kept up with science or the times according to commentator Douglas Starr. Starr argues that the ban on blood donations by any man who's had sex with another man since 1977 has been outmoded by tests that can detect recent infection with AIDS. He also points out that the high rate of AIDS among gays has dropped slightly while it's risen among women, minorities, and drug users. He argues gays should have the same one-year deferral as other high-risk groups. Douglas Starr is co-director of the Science Journalism Program at Boston University and author of "Blood: An Epic History of Medicine and Commerce."

Mother's Day -- Storyteller Kevin Kling warns us about the importance of Mother's day.

NY Comment -- Commentator Richard Goldstein says New Yorkers' sympathy for Mayor Giuliani's cancer diagnosis has done what consultants couldn't: make Giuliani seem human. His battle with cancer may overshadow his marital troubles, cause instant amnesia about his inhumane treatment of blacks, homeless, and people who cross him--and give him a new lease on political life if he decides to stay in the senate race. Richard Goldstein is executive editor of The Village Voice.

Goosed! -- Commentator Carol Wasserman tells a story about a woman, a garden, and a lusty goose.

The Myth of Overpopulation -- Commentator Dinesh D'Souza challenges the notion that the world is threatened by overpopulation. He cites dropping birth rates, and the availability of land. And D'Souza suggests the best contraceptive is actually economic growth -- that wealthier families have fewer children.

Syllables -- Commentator Daniel Ferri teaches sixth grade in Chicago. He comes to us with help from member station WBEZ in Chicago.

Microsoft -- Commentator Gary Beach argues that Microsoft has made a weak case against dividing the software company. This week is the deadline for Microsoft to respond to a judge's order for the company to split.

Vladimir Putin -- The past weekend's revelation of a Kremlin document reported to outline newly-installed President Vladimir Putin's plans for governing Russia has NPR Senior News Analyst Daniel Schorr wondering just what kind of executive Putin will be.

Statehouse -- Commentator Elissa Ely takes a trip to the State House to brief lawmakers on mental health issues. The experience - culminating in a phone booth that doesn't charge for calls - leaves her heady with the rush of power.

Revolution for the Hell of It -- Commentator Andrei Codrescu says that the idea of revolution has been trivialized in the era of revolution.com.

Hernandez the Girl -- Commentator Arturo Hernandez was a guidance counselor at a Los Angeles High School. He tells the story of a troubled 14 year old girl who he tried to help. He ends up getting heat for his efforts.

E-Mail Curse -- Commentator David Weinberger says the World Wide Web has hi-jacked our frames of reference when it comes to moral reasoning, because it makes things possible that have never been possible before. He calls this "frame jacking."

Guys Lunch -- Commentator Scott Brunner talks about the weekly gathering of his friends at a downtown restaurant in Jackson, Mississippi.

Living with Mother -- Commentator Katie Davis talks about the difficulty she has explaining to new acquaintances that she lives with her mom.


Return to the Commentaries main page.