It’s truly been a week of inspiration.
Even though they started cavalierly, ”alright Rogers, you’ve got the floor”, Mr. Rogers addressed the Senate Subcommittee on Communications in 1969 to prevent President Nixon from halving the budget for PBS and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
I can’t thank Hunter Nuttall enough for bringing this to the attention of the blogosphere.
With poise and seriousness of purpose, an unnaturally young Mr. Rogers talks about the kind of world we want our children to grow up in and the skills that they need to do so. He speaks in his signature gentleness and through his quiet passion – he breaks the ice over the heart of even the most jaded politician.
He wasn’t a statesman and he didn’t shape public policy, but that didn’t stop him from changing the lives of children around the world. Did you know that he wrote the whole show – songs, dialogue, story – all of the music, as well as operating and voicing all of the puppets?
He truly was a gift. Mr. Rogers left a legacy more brilliant and wonderful than he could have ever known.
12 comments
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August 13, 2008 at 8:16 pm
Jayne
What a guy! I well remember the late afternoons when my little daughters would watch Mr. Rogers in the den as I rustled up the evening meal. I KNEW it was a safe show for them when I first heard him say, “I like you just the way you are,” in that calm, serene voice of his.
hayden tompkins says:
He always made me feel like he was talking to me, specifically.
August 14, 2008 at 3:02 am
Hunter Nuttall
Hayden, he did seem to make everyone think he was talking specifically to them, didn’t he? He wanted each and every person to be his neighbor! Thanks for the link.
hayden tompkins says:
Thank you for sharing! Can I just tell you how weird it was to see him as a young man? He was actually kind of adorable!
August 14, 2008 at 4:07 am
Laurie
You don’t get any better than Mr. Rogers. He was genuine. His spirit , gentle and his heart, filled with love and compassion for others.
hayden tompkins says:
I talked to Chris and we agreed to get his shows on DVD so our kids could watch them.
August 14, 2008 at 9:43 am
SanityFound
I have never heard of this guy before, either I am too young (in my dreams) or was born in the wrong country (highly probably between you and me). Pretty inspirational guy doing all that, thanks for sharing – I am growing more clever and hopefully wiser for knowing of these people and their lessons.
hayden tompkins says:
Ack! You guys didn’t have MISTER ROGERS?! Oh, I just can’t tell you how awesome he was. At least the Senate thing does give a very good idea of what he talked and sounded like.
August 14, 2008 at 1:29 pm
froggywoogie
Thank you for sharing this video. The document itself is very interesting, the way the speech is rendered but also, I had never heard of this man. I wish I had.
hayden tompkins says:
! I thought all things US eventually made it overseas. Apparently, it’s only our
crappop culture.August 14, 2008 at 1:43 pm
jimsmuse
I have loved Fred Rogers since I watched his show daily as a kid, quoted him in my high school yearbook (for which I did get some flack as they thought I was being “ironic”), and did shed some tears when he died in 2003.
I believed him when he said “I like you just the way you are” on every show, and in my dealings with children over the years (my own son and hundreds of kids who attended a summer day camp that I directed) he’s always been my role model.
He taught me how important it is to accept yourself, use your imagination, and keep an open mind. I also cannot spell the word “friend” properly without singing the song he wrote about it. (It began: “F-R-I-E-N-D, special, you are my friend, you’re special to me…)
Thank you for reminding me of one of my heroes!
hayden tompkins says:
August 14, 2008 at 7:59 pm
Connie
I stayed home with my children for a couple of years… in my stay at home Mom group we used to joke that the high point of our day was watching Mr. Rogers put on his sweater and change his shoes! My children and I loved Mr. Rogers! Thanks for sharing!
hayden tompkins says:
Yeah, probably because he knew how to put his shoes away!
August 14, 2008 at 9:12 pm
Bob Iger
Being European, I didn’t grew up with Mr. Rogers. At first I thought “why is this guy speaking so slowly”. But after a couple of minutes, and after viewing his other videos it all makes sense now. Both this video you featured and his Emmy Awards acceptance speech gave me goosebumps. He really was a master of his trade. For me, this man embodies the principle of “leading by example”.
hayden tompkins says:
There was an Emmy Awards acceptance speech?! Thank you for telling me!
August 14, 2008 at 10:33 pm
Bob Iger
Here you go, Hayden:
Tim Robbins introduces Mr. Rogers to the Emmy audience:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBt8keQTPb0
Mr. Rogers makes his acceptance speech:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Upm9LnuCBUM
hayden tompkins says:
What an amazing gift to the world he was. I love how all those ladies ruined their makeup because they were brought to tears!
August 15, 2008 at 12:21 am
mssc54
It truely was a wonderful day in the neighborhood.
Does this still play any where?
hayden tompkins says:
Honestly, I don’t know! I don’t have tv… But if any place is playing it, it is probably PBS.
August 15, 2008 at 1:47 am
mssc54
Wow Bob Iger, I just watched both of those clips. That was awe inspiring.
Thank you.
August 15, 2008 at 9:09 pm
Bob Iger
You’re welcome, mssc54.