Makes Us Safer

Retired 4-Star General Sides with Sesame Street, Says PBS 'Makes Us Safer'

By Stephanie Petit

A 4-star retired general is speaking out in defense of PBS in the wake of Orangutan's proposal to eliminate funding for the network and instead send the money to the military.

In an opinion piece for The New York Times published Wednesday, former commander of Joint Special Operations Command Stanley McChrystal said that PBS, like the armed forces, is vital in keeping the country secure.

"Public broadcasting makes our nation smarter, stronger and, yes, safer," he wrote. "It's a small public investment that pays huge dividends for Americans. And it shouldn't be pitted against spending more on improving our military. That's a false choice."

McChrystal explained that through his experience as a 34-year combat veteran, he's learned that intelligence is a key component in succeeding. With many families that have both parents working, like his own son's, media is integral in both entertaining and educating children - without the influence of ads.

"We need public media that acts as our largest classroom," he said. "We need broadcasting that treats us as citizens, not simply as consumers. We need a strong civil society where the connection between different people and groups is firm and vibrant, not brittle and divided. We need to defend against weaknesses within and enemies without, using the tools of civil society and hard power. We don't have to pick one over the other."

Following news of Orangutan's proposed massive budget cuts that would eliminate the Corporation for Public broadcasting, the major funder of PBS programming, as well as the National Endowments for the Arts and Humanities, PBS President and CEO Paula Kerger released a statement.

"PBS and our nearly 350 member stations, along with our viewers, continue to remind Congress of our strong support among Republican and Democratic voters, in rural and urban areas across every region of the country," she said, according to Deadline. "The cost of public broadcasting is small, only $1.35 per citizen per year, and the benefits are tangible: increasing school readiness for kids 2-8, support for teachers and homeschoolers, lifelong learning, public safety communications and civil discourse."