Help! I have a Moral Dilemma!

[JazzManJim]

Okay, so one of my two favorite radio stations is a publicly-funded deal, kind of like your local PBS stations. But they go beyond stations like that in that they don't even accept donations from corporations. It's more or less against their policital beliefs. They're in the middle of a pledge drive and I've been seriously considering donating to a membership.

But I have this dilemma.

See, they play absolutely great music that you just don't hear on radio much anymore: jazz (from swing to be-bop!), blues, latino, world music. Their DJs are all volunteers and are, in many cases gigging musicians themselves who play stuff from their own private collections and who always give great background information ont he stuff they play. They not only tell you what and who you heard, but who the backup people were, some of the background on the recording and other tasty musical and historical tidbits. It is, in my opinion, the best music station I've ever heard. Hell, they even have a weekly jazz quiz show!

The problem is that they're affiliated with the Pacifica News Network which is a group even farther left in my opinion than NPR. I disagree completely with their political and economic standpoints and have found their news coverage to be on the margins and at points factually incorrect. To their credit, they cover news that you won't hear just anywhere, but it arrives with a very discernible slant. The news and the opinion are rarely separate from each other. They are notably anti-corporation, against war for any reason, and a few other basic things on which I differ from them. I believe their point of view to be not only very naive, but factually wrong to the point of being purposefully misleading.

Now, should I donate, by donation would not only be helping to fund this great music I love so much, but also the news/political arm of their station. I'm in a quandry here and I'd like to hear what folks here think of the situation.

 

[Todd-'o'-Vision]

Pesonally in similar positions I didn't

but its a personal call

 

[Mischka]

Perhaps you could include a letter with your donation expressing your dismay at their inability to separate the news from their liberal slant? Since they are so locally run, it may actually have an impact. You don't have to rail against them, just a polite suggestion that at times their coloring of a story dismays you, and you feel it paints them in a prejudicial light.

If I reversed the situation, and found a great music station that only reported ultra conservative news, I would probably still go ahead and send them my support. As more stations are being gobbled up by the mega corporations, a great selection of music is getting harder to find.

Or you could always just give in and become liberal. Then you wouldn't have a problem.

 

[Tyrael]

Well, it just boils down to one question.

What's more important to you personally : the music or your political beliefs?

 

[JennyOmanHill]

Well, it just boils down to one question.

What's more important to you personally : the music or your political beliefs?

I agree with Tyrael, as only YOU can make the decision.

I also agree with sending a letter (perhaps initially without a contribution) stating your feelings. Perhaps they will better describe for you the actual distribution of the funds they collect?

 

[Mischka]

What's more important to you personally : the music or your political beliefs?

Good point. And considering that his name is JazzManJim, I'll go out on a limb and say...

 

[kotori]

Find out if they break out their funding. Say "My money goes to support the purchase of new CDs" or whatever, not to hookup to the news service.

Or you could always just give in and become liberal. Then you wouldn't have a problem.

 

[FlamingoBlue]

Easy answer, son.....

Send the money and hope that others do, too. Otherwise, no more music. As for the news, don't listen to it unless you're interested in hearing the "other side of the story. And celebrate the fact that in the good ole U. S. of A., there is another side to every story.

blue

p.s. Give that cutie pie son of your's a hug from ole blue.

 

[Sparky Kronkite]

Give me a break.

If everyone based all their daily, mundane decisions on their political beliefs - we all wouldn't eat, we wouldn't live where we live, we probably wouldn't own a car or a home, use energy, buy diapers, or do just about anything.

Like the Kevin Bacon 7 Degrees of Seperation game - just about everything we consume or do - including music - can be related to something evil or greedy or both.

Except Oprah of course.

Listen to your music - life is short.

 

[Dixon Carter Lee]

I'm confused. Are they "publicly funded", completely? If so, you have no problem. Does Pacifica support them at all, or do they just provide air space? If they only provide air space, you have no problem.

The crux of your moral dilemma lies with the amount of influence (or lack of influence) Pacifica has over the station's content, doesn't it? Well, if Pacifica has zero say over the content, what's the problem?

 

[JazzManJim]

I'm confused. Are they "publicly funded", completely? If so, you have no problem. Does Pacifica support them at all, or do they just provide air space? If they only provide air space, you have no problem.

The crux of your moral dilemma lies with the amount of influence (or lack of influence) Pacifica has over the station's content, doesn't it? Well, if Pacifica has zero say over the content, what's the problem?

Well, it's kind of like this. Both the station and Pacifica are publicly-funded. A donation to one is a donation to all. They make sure that any station that might have an overage beyond what their budgeted for operating expenses and improvements go to another station that may really need the funds at that moment, and so on. In fact, today, they're giving the day's fundraising activities on the air to a station on their network in San Francisco which needs it to re-power their 100K blowtorch of a transmitter, which they used to use, but haven't for a while because they've not had the funding.

Pacifica has big sway over the political content of that station and that's my big dilemma. There's no separating the two - the music from the politics, because they also hire DJs who have that same bent and though most of them don't espose their views in that regard, some of them do.

I'd love to let the music rule, but, unfortunately, I have this life-long block about letting stuff I see as just wrong stand. I can't in good faith support one, knowing that it supports the other, even tacitly. I think I'll go with the letter idea and see what happens.

Though, for you hopefuls who want me to go over to the Dark Side, I'm sorry. Liberalism just doesn't scan to me. Too much of it just doesn't make sense to me at all.

 

[Ballboy]

I'm with Blue and Sparky.... Live and let live and enjoy your music. If your political beliefs are that strong, however, take the money buy your own CD's or invest in the new satellite radio.

 

[RhumbRunner13]

How many feel that if the KKK put on a good show somewhere,
they would buy a ticket and go?

RhumbRunner

 

[Weird Harold]

I'd love to let the music rule, but, unfortunately, I have this life-long block about letting stuff I see as just wrong stand. I can't in good faith support one, knowing that it supports the other, even tacitly. I think I'll go with the letter idea and see what happens.

Will they acept support "in kind" -- donations of CD's, equipment, etc, that will insure your donation doesn't support the politics instead of the music?

There is also the point that supporting the music provides Pacifica with a forum for their views -- perhaps a pledge to your local PBS radio station's Jazz program would be a better use of your money?

An investment in XM equipment and a subscription might get you the music you want without political concerns.

 

[Unclebill]

I'll put it a bit more bluntly

Originally posted by Tyrael
What's more important to you personally : the music or your political beliefs?

Which is more important, the music or the principles involved, i. e., intellectual and moral integrity?

 

[lollipopgestapo]

Re: Give me a break.

If everyone based all their daily, mundane decisions on their political beliefs - we all wouldn't eat, we wouldn't live where we live, we probably wouldn't own a car or a home, use energy, buy diapers, or do just about anything.

Like the Kevin Bacon 7 Degrees of Seperation game - just about everything we consume or do - including music - can be related to something evil or greedy or both.

Except Oprah of course.

Listen to your music - life is short.

I have to agree. Everyone has a right to an opinion just as much as everyone has a right to great music. Don't let the their beliefs, wrong though they may be , influence your decision to support the music you love.

Also, Oprah = Evil.

 

[Problem Child]

What's the problem here? You listen to the music, and let the liberals pay for it. Easy.

 

[sandiego_gordo]

as usual.....

...PC cuts right to the chase. don't support their propaganda machine, don't listen to their "news", but enjoy the tunes.

gordo

 

[sandiego_gordo]

and by the way

PC, your av is hilarious, but i liked the old one better.

does it bug you when people say that? haven't been reading up but i'm sure i'm not the only one who feels that way.

gordo

 

[Rhys]

Go for the music...

politicians come and go...

music stays for all time

 

[Guru]

 

[patient1]

If they're inseperable, wouldn't be kinda like donating to the Christian Scientists because you like to read?