Brian Williams, anchor for NBC News, is on the Board of Directors for the Congressional Medal of Honor Society. Last year, he was scheduled to be the Master of Ceremonies for a dinner that was attended by, and honoring, over 100 living recipients of the MoH.
Williams announced at the beginning of the dinner that he needed to leave because he had pressing business in New York.
What was the pressing business? A family engagement, a big news story, an emergency?
Williams had a ONE MINUTE CAMEO on "Saturday Night Live"!!
Is this the example he should set for others? Is this any way to treat the 100+ men in attendance that had risked their lives for the love of their country?
Can anyone provide a valid excuse why an appearance on SNL is more important than the Medal of Honor??
2007-10-03 07:48:55 · 15 answers · asked by LC 5 in Politics & Government ➔ Military
If you need more about this, the story is available online
http://www.punditreview.com/2006/10/03/b...
http://newsbusters.org/node/8052
He also uses his position on the Congressional Medal of Honor Society as a marketing tool. Just Google his name and Medal of Honor, and you will see what I mean. Apparently, these people are good enough to use in that capacity, but not good enough to honor at dinner.
2007-10-03 07:50:09 · update #1
Davidmi,
The dinner was to honor over 100 recipients, the names of all those that could not attend were announced.
I am sorry. Apparently a two minute cameo is twice as important as a one minute cameo.
He did not participate in the dinner, he left before the dinner.
Do you really think that he was going to say, "I made a mistake, I am sorry."
I attended the dinner on behalf of my company, which sponsored a table. I can tell you that at least three of the recipents were offended. That is all that matters.
Conranger1,
I didn't say they were awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor, i said that they were members of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society. Maybe you should have checked your facts before spouting off all of your "knowledge"
http://www.homeofheroes.com/moh/history/society.html
2007-10-03 12:46:59 · update #2
The Congressional Medal Of Honor - The Medal of Honor, established by joint resolution of Congress, 12 July 1862 (amended by Act of 9 July 1918 and Act of 25 July 1963) is awarded in the name of Congress to a person who, while a member of the Armed Services, distinguishes himself conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while engaged in an action against any enemy of The United States; while engaged in military operations involving conflict with an opposing foreign force; or while serving with friendly foreign forces engaged in an armed conflict against an opposing armed force in which The United States is not a belligerent party. The deed performed must have been one of personal bravery or self-sacrifice so conspicuous as to clearly distinguish the individual above his comrades and must have involved risk of life. Incontestable proof of the performance of service is exacted and each recommendation for award of this decoration is considered on the standard of extraordinary merit. Full-text Listings of Medal of Honor Citations The President, in the name of Congress, has awarded more than 3,400 Medals of Honor to our nation's bravest Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen since the decoration's creation in 1861.
I really do not think it is Brian Williams' job to set an example for anyone, the honorees at that dinner have already done that better than he could ever hope to.
I would not have done that, but that's me. And to answer your final question... no I can't.
2007-10-03 09:29:02 · answer #1 · answered by drgnrdr451 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
He made a poor choice, but these guys are human just like you and I.
Have you ever had to choose between watching your team play in the Super Bowl and help someone move furniture?
One time I was crucified for leaving a Halloween party early. I didn't know anybody and nobody was talking to me. I didn't think I mattered. So I left. But apparently it did matter.
Ahhh, who am I kidding. Brian Williams dissed important people for something dumb.
He doesn't need to be punished. He just won't be taken seriously by anyone any more.
2007-10-03 08:09:11 · answer #2 · answered by Question Monster 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Trust? Yes, but not as a news anchor. A news anchor simply reads the news and smiles. Stewart, Colbert and their teams, provide their own brand of slanted comedic analysis of the news. They do not pretend to be anything other than that, which automatically makes them both more trustworthy than FOX News. However even the other news sites screw up and Stewart and Colbert are there when they do.
2016-05-19 23:40:27 · answer #3 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
And the rest of the story:
"Williams was “horrified” by the criticism and told the Track that he had informed the organizers of the dinner earlier in the week that his plans had changed.
“They were fine with it,” said the newsie, a Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation board member. “But the primary focus of my day was to attend the three-hour board meeting and participate in the dinner, which I did. These are my guys, I work hard for them. I love these guys.”
A few factorial corrections:
There were 61 MoH winners at the dinner.
His appearance on SNL was 2 minutes
He left at the agreed upon time.
This happened a year ago, just reading it now?
2007-10-03 07:56:27 · answer #4 · answered by davidmi711 7 · 8⤊ 2⤋
Why do people insist on putting the word Congressional, before the words Medal of Honor.
The official name for this award is plain and simply "THE MEDAL OF HONOR".
If there is such a thing as the
"CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR" its more than likely a Civil award unrelated to the military award.
Anybody with more knowledge please feel to post it.
2007-10-03 08:41:34 · answer #5 · answered by conranger1 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Instead of wasting your time anguishing about stupid stuff like this, why don't you really show some support for our troops and tell your congressman, as I do on a regular basis, to GET THEM THE HELL OUTTA HARM'S WAY!
As we have seen, the U.S. occupation of Iraq is not a winnable (in the conventional sense) conflict, our soldiers DON'T KNOW who the enemy is until they've been blown up or fired upon by them - and then it's often too late.
2007-10-03 08:16:28 · answer #6 · answered by HyperDog 7 · 2⤊ 5⤋
He's a company man. He needed to go to work.
2007-10-03 07:51:58 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 1⤋
Ok....so it was a bad decision.....
NBC is his employer and also broadcasts SNL. Maybe he wasn't given much of a choice by his bosses at the GE corporate-owned network.
Watch news on a different channel, if you don't like NBC's decision.
2007-10-03 07:53:44 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 5⤋
who are we to say what someone else did was wrong, he didn't hurt anyone in anyway. Nobody was overally affected by his choice. We all make silly decisions. Had it been your neighbour? your collegue? would you have felt different then?
2007-10-03 07:57:24 · answer #9 · answered by zipperfootpress 4 · 3⤊ 4⤋
it's not that SNL was more important... it was his ability to earn 2 paychecks in one night.
2007-10-03 07:51:41 · answer #10 · answered by Lily Iris 7 · 4⤊ 2⤋