Friday, August 12, 2011
Comments about Bruce Elving
I appreciate the things that people are saying about my dad in blogs and online forums. Here is a link to a thread on the WTFDA forums: Bruce Elving Passes.
In Memory of Bruce Elving
By Kristine Stuart
July 25, 2011
Before my husband proposed to me, he decided to take the old-fashioned approach and ask my father for permission to marry his daughter. My father was not a conventional sort of guy, however. When Dave called him on the phone (because we lived too far away for him to visit in person), he wasn't sure what to think when my dad asked him, “What radio stations do your parents listen to?”
That was a typical question from my dad, even as a criterion for accepting a prospective son-in-law. FM radio was one of his greatest passions for most of his life. He had even translated his enthusiasm for FM into a business, publishing a directory (beginning the year that I was born) of all the FM stations in North America and later publishing a supplemental monthly newsletter between editions of his book, as well as selling radios that he had modified to receive subcarrier signals. He also had a hobby of DXing--tuning in distant stations, which to the rest of the family usually sounded like just static. When I was very young, I loved turning the knob that rotated his outdoor antenna. We would say that we were giving rides to the birds that were sitting on the antenna.
Some of my earliest memories are of holding out my arms and pretending to be an airplane while my dad zoomed me around, and then I would put my arms against my sides and turn into a log, and he would roll me onto the couch. Sometimes he would sing silly songs like “Yellow Submarine.” Sometimes he would read to me; one of our favorite books was Winter Hut. Before I learned to read, we played a game that he called “Book Identification,” and, of course, he included his book, FM Atlas, in the game. When I was a little older, our favorite activity together was riding our bikes. By the time I was nine, I was going on 15-mile bike trips with him.
My dad was not always easy to get along with. In fact, he used to declare, “I thrive on conflict,” and he wasn't joking. But when I think of him, I'll remember the simple pleasures that we shared and the funny things that he said. I'll remember collaborating with him on his newsletter while I edited it for a couple of years during his semi-retirement. I'll remember the articles that he wrote for a local publication, reminiscing about sledding down the city streets of Duluth, Minnesota, during his childhood and sharing his more recent ice-walking experiences on Lake Superior. I'll remember the kids' fond nickname for him--Grandpa Brucey. And I'll remember his concern and caring for my mom during his last years.
“And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away” (Revelation 21:4).
I look forward to that time when death and sorrow will pass away. Until then, rest in peace, Dad. I love you.
July 25, 2011
Before my husband proposed to me, he decided to take the old-fashioned approach and ask my father for permission to marry his daughter. My father was not a conventional sort of guy, however. When Dave called him on the phone (because we lived too far away for him to visit in person), he wasn't sure what to think when my dad asked him, “What radio stations do your parents listen to?”
That was a typical question from my dad, even as a criterion for accepting a prospective son-in-law. FM radio was one of his greatest passions for most of his life. He had even translated his enthusiasm for FM into a business, publishing a directory (beginning the year that I was born) of all the FM stations in North America and later publishing a supplemental monthly newsletter between editions of his book, as well as selling radios that he had modified to receive subcarrier signals. He also had a hobby of DXing--tuning in distant stations, which to the rest of the family usually sounded like just static. When I was very young, I loved turning the knob that rotated his outdoor antenna. We would say that we were giving rides to the birds that were sitting on the antenna.
Some of my earliest memories are of holding out my arms and pretending to be an airplane while my dad zoomed me around, and then I would put my arms against my sides and turn into a log, and he would roll me onto the couch. Sometimes he would sing silly songs like “Yellow Submarine.” Sometimes he would read to me; one of our favorite books was Winter Hut. Before I learned to read, we played a game that he called “Book Identification,” and, of course, he included his book, FM Atlas, in the game. When I was a little older, our favorite activity together was riding our bikes. By the time I was nine, I was going on 15-mile bike trips with him.
My dad was not always easy to get along with. In fact, he used to declare, “I thrive on conflict,” and he wasn't joking. But when I think of him, I'll remember the simple pleasures that we shared and the funny things that he said. I'll remember collaborating with him on his newsletter while I edited it for a couple of years during his semi-retirement. I'll remember the articles that he wrote for a local publication, reminiscing about sledding down the city streets of Duluth, Minnesota, during his childhood and sharing his more recent ice-walking experiences on Lake Superior. I'll remember the kids' fond nickname for him--Grandpa Brucey. And I'll remember his concern and caring for my mom during his last years.
“And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away” (Revelation 21:4).
I look forward to that time when death and sorrow will pass away. Until then, rest in peace, Dad. I love you.
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Obituary: Bruce Elving
Bruce F. Elving, Ph.D., 76, of Esko, Minnesota, died Sunday, July 24, 2011, in Loma Linda, California.
Bruce was born in Two Harbors, Minnesota, April 19, 1935, to Fred and Mildred Elving. He graduated from Duluth Central High School in 1953 and the University of Minnesota-Duluth in 1957, earned his M.A. From Iowa State University in 1962, and earned his Ph.D. from Syracuse University in 1970. He was a college professor, FM-radio enthusiast, and publisher of FM Atlas since 1971.
He was a member of the Duluth Seventh-day Adventist Church, Arrowhead Stamp Club, Duluth Coin Club, Swedish Cultural Society, and Mended Hearts Chapter 104.
He was preceded in death by his parents.
Bruce is survived by his wife of 41 years, Carol; daughters Kristine (David) Stuart, Karin (Daniel) Clements, and Kimberly Misson; and six grandchildren.
Bruce was born in Two Harbors, Minnesota, April 19, 1935, to Fred and Mildred Elving. He graduated from Duluth Central High School in 1953 and the University of Minnesota-Duluth in 1957, earned his M.A. From Iowa State University in 1962, and earned his Ph.D. from Syracuse University in 1970. He was a college professor, FM-radio enthusiast, and publisher of FM Atlas since 1971.
He was a member of the Duluth Seventh-day Adventist Church, Arrowhead Stamp Club, Duluth Coin Club, Swedish Cultural Society, and Mended Hearts Chapter 104.
He was preceded in death by his parents.
Bruce is survived by his wife of 41 years, Carol; daughters Kristine (David) Stuart, Karin (Daniel) Clements, and Kimberly Misson; and six grandchildren.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Death Knell or Minor Setback?
An online petition from MoveOn.org is circulating on Facebook, urging fans of NPR and PBS to save public broadcasting by protesting the proposed budget of Republicans in the House of Representatives. On Friday, GOP leaders unveiled their new budget proposal, which, among other things, seeks to cut funding to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. However, according to the Los Angeles Times, the plan "is unlikely to pass the Senate or be enacted into law, casting it as more of a statement of GOP intentions and priorities, rather than an actual fiscal plan."
Even if Republicans were able to carry out their proposal, I'm not convinced that it would make as much of a difference as many of the opinions that I've seen are predicting. NPR's website indicates that it gets only a small percentage of its funding from the federal government:
"While NPR does not receive any direct federal funding, it does receive a small number of competitive grants from CPB and federal agencies like the Department of Education and the Department of Commerce. This funding amounts to approximately 2% of NPR’s overall revenues. The largest share of NPR's revenue comes from program fees and station dues paid by member stations that broadcast NPR programs."
Those member stations also get a small percentage of their fiscal support from the federal government, in turn indirectly passing some of it on to NPR. Still, it remains a minority of both NPR's and other public broadcasting outlets' total revenues. Sure, it would probably cause some hardship if NPR lost all federal funding, but it wouldn't be the death knell that many people are interpreting this budget proposal as. NPR would survive, especially if all those Facebook fans and MoveOn.org petitioners translated their verbal support into financial support.
Even if Republicans were able to carry out their proposal, I'm not convinced that it would make as much of a difference as many of the opinions that I've seen are predicting. NPR's website indicates that it gets only a small percentage of its funding from the federal government:
"While NPR does not receive any direct federal funding, it does receive a small number of competitive grants from CPB and federal agencies like the Department of Education and the Department of Commerce. This funding amounts to approximately 2% of NPR’s overall revenues. The largest share of NPR's revenue comes from program fees and station dues paid by member stations that broadcast NPR programs."
Those member stations also get a small percentage of their fiscal support from the federal government, in turn indirectly passing some of it on to NPR. Still, it remains a minority of both NPR's and other public broadcasting outlets' total revenues. Sure, it would probably cause some hardship if NPR lost all federal funding, but it wouldn't be the death knell that many people are interpreting this budget proposal as. NPR would survive, especially if all those Facebook fans and MoveOn.org petitioners translated their verbal support into financial support.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Friday, October 22, 2010
Juan Williams: Firing from NPR "is a chilling assault on free speech"
Many years ago when my husband and I were renting a house, we were told, “You can paint the walls any color you want as long as it's off-white.” That struck me as an odd way to tell us not to redecorate. Why not just say that instead of making a pretense of giving us a choice?
I remembered those words when I heard yesterday that National Public Radio had fired longtime news analyst Juan Williams because of his controversial remarks during his Monday-night appearance on Fox News Channel's The O'Reilly Factor. (View the video clip of that segment here.) Does freedom of speech apply to journalists, or does Williams' termination send the message, “You can say anything you want as long as you agree with us”?
Williams said to host Bill O'Reilly on that program, “I mean, look, Bill, I’m not a bigot. You know the kind of books I’ve written about the civil rights movement in this country. But when I get on the plane, I got to tell you, if I see people who are in Muslim garb and I think, you know, they are identifying themselves first and foremost as Muslims, I get worried. I get nervous.”
He was describing his own knee-jerk feelings in that situation to make a point, and his words were taken out of context. The rest of his comments in that interview emphasized that despite people's personal reactions and fears, they should distinguish between moderate and extremist Muslims, and they should not violate anyone's rights because of religious affiliation.
In an opinion piece published on the Fox News website yesterday, Williams further clarified his remarks:
Yesterday NPR fired me for telling the truth. The truth is that I worry when I am getting on an airplane and see people dressed in garb that identifies them first and foremost as Muslims.
This is not a bigoted statement. It is a statement of my feelings, my fears after the terrorist attacks of 9/11 by radical Muslims. In a debate with Bill O’Reilly I revealed my fears to set up the case for not making rash judgments about people of any faith. . . .
And I made it clear that all Americans have to be careful not to let fears lead to the violation of anyone’s constitutional rights, be it to build a mosque, carry the Koran or drive a New York cab without the fear of having your throat slashed.
He also recounted his conversation with his boss at NPR, Ellen Weiss, in which she informed him that he "had violated NPR’s values for editorial commentary” even though his comments were not made on NPR. He wrote:
I asked why she would fire me without speaking to me face to face and she said there was nothing I could say to change her mind, the decision had been confirmed above her, and there was no point to meeting in person. To say the least this is a chilling assault on free speech. The critical importance of honest journalism and a free flowing, respectful national conversation needs to be had in our country. But it is being buried as collateral damage in a war whose battles include political correctness and ideological orthodoxy.
NPR had already distanced itself from Williams by changing his status from “senior correspondent” to “analyst,” and in Feb. 2009 they requested that he stop identifying himself with NPR in his Fox News appearances. In a statement issued on Wednesday night, NPR said, “His remarks on The O'Reilly Factor this past Monday were inconsistent with our editorial standards and practices, and undermined his credibility as a news analyst with NPR.” Vivian Schiller, CEO of NPR, said on Thursday that “Williams should have kept his feelings about Muslims between himself, 'his psychiatrist or his publicist'—a comment she later said she regretted. 'I spoke hastily and I apologize to Juan and others for my thoughtless remark,' Schiller said in a statement released by NPR.”
How interesting that Schiller is allowed the freedom to make an unprofessional, unkind remark like that and is let off the hook with an apology, while Williams is fired for stating an opinion that was taken out of context.
Some Republicans, including former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, and former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, are calling for an end to federal funding for NPR. Already there is proposed legislation in Congressional committee, introduced by Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-CO) in June, which would cut funding to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting after fiscal year 2012. According to NPR, it receives about one percent of its budget each year from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and another one percent from the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional federal funds are received indirectly through fees paid to NPR by affiliated public radio stations that buy its programming. NPR posted charts showing its sources of financial support and those of member stations. Whether or not NPR should continue to receive federal funding, I am not convinced that cutting it would hurt NPR financially that much although I do believe that the government should protect Americans' freedoms and should hold recipients of federal funds accountable if they violate those freedoms.
I don't always agree with Juan Williams, but I do support his freedom of speech, and I'm not a fan of political correctness when it jeopardizes that freedom. Ironically, in Monday's interview, Williams was actually advising O'Reilly to be careful about what he says. Perhaps Williams should have been more careful himself, but at the same time, he should have the right to express his opinions without censorship. He should also be afforded the fairness that journalism is supposed to exercise, but NPR executives failed to give him that when they took his remarks out of context and fired him without even granting his request for a face-to-face meeting.
On the bright side for Williams, Fox News has signed him to a new three-year exclusive contract worth almost $2 million and has given him an expanded role at the network, with an online column and more frequent appearances. He will guest-host The O'Reilly Factor tonight. And I hope that Fox News lets him paint his office whatever color he wants.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
