Twitch Plays in the Neighbourhood

                Hello Neighbour!  Right now, Twitch is showing all 886 episodes of the beloved children’s program Mister Roger’s Neighbourhood.  I honour of that I want to share a special post on the importance of this show and why you should support your local PBS station.

When I was a kid, I grew up watching episodes of Mr. Rogers.  Each episode, Mr. Rogers would enter his home, change into his sneakers and cardigan, and sing the opening song.  Mr. Rogers taught children the importance of imagination, emotions, and the beauty of everyone’s uniqness. He was a person I looked up to because of those virtues and is still someone I admire.

I know people like to call Mr. Rogers creepy.  I don’t see it.  Fred Rogers, the host and creator of Mister Rogers’ Neighbourhood, fervently believed that children deserved to see quality programing and shouldn’t be treated like fools.  It was this earnest faith that allowed Rogers to convince Congress in 1969 not to cut PBS’s budget. While Senator Pastore seemed gruff and impatient, Mr. Rogers was calm and passonate showing to Congress that childhood education is something that shouldn't be short changed.  He was just as sincere off the camera as he was on TV.

In an age where Donald Trump demeans the spirit of the human condition and makes ignorance something acceptable, we need more Fred Rogers.  We need to celebrate and care for one another.  As Mr. Rogers would say “there is only one you” and for that reason we should be working together, not crying racism and sexism for acknowledging differences or calling others “snowflakes”.  Ignorance only breeds more ignorance and fear and hate.  Be a do-er of good, let someone else commit bad things.  Love is so much loader and so much more spreading when ever one joins in.

PBS has always been the home of Mr. Rogers and so many other programs.  Whether it was Zoom, Liberty’s Kids, Nova, Masterpiece Theatre, or Bill Nye the Science Guy, PBS has strived to provide quality programs for all ages.  While its future has always been on a cliff, everyone has always supported PBS and it has made it through.  Now, Trump want’s to vaporise PBS, cutting millions off from quality programming and educational information.  Please give to your local PBS station and support this institution.

To support your local PBS go to: http://www.pbs.org/about/support-pbs/

Twitch's Mister Roger's Neighbourhood marathon can be found here: https://www.twitch.tv/misterrogers