I expected better from C-Span. Do they not have a call screener?
From the left, do I really need to say on national TV that police departments are controlled lock, stock and barrel by the Klan?
From the right, do I really need to have to answer for a caller who talks about:
Caller: RAMPAGING BLACK CRIMINALITY THAT IS RAMPANT FROM THE ATLANTIC TO THE PACIFIC AND FROM CANADA TO MEXICO IN THIS NATION.
Moskos: YOU KNOW, I AM PART OF THAT REGION. I DON’T SEE THAT RAMPAGE, BUT GO ON…
On the plus side, it was long-form. But it really was the worst format of “remote studio stare into a camera with no visual clues at all.” Plus my head looks fat, as “fat-head” was quick to tell me.
Peter,
That was the finest video segment on this topic that I've ever seen. Kudos for an outstanding job.
Btw, just my 2 cents, I didn't perceive that the callers were offensive, perhaps because they weren't yelling. The person that alleged rampant black criminality spoke in measured tones, as did the one who alleged a KKK conspiracy among some law officers.
Anyways, again compliments to you.
I liked your answer to the first guy just because you have to decide "What am I going to agree, and what am I going to stand up to contradict?" A lot easier to do in a blog post, but that caller doesn't read your blog, so you got to reach him.
That KKK lady went on way too long, but I thought it was the gist of an interesting question. Not that the whole police department is a conspiracy, but it does happen that like, small groups of police will become corrupt and start running drugs or whatever, so her question bears on, is this really about systemic police culture or individual bad apples and teams?
If you're lucky, getting stumped on these weird questions will develop your interview skills. I can think of a couple answers right now, like the geographical dispersion not matching the Klan, general Klan weakness, the sheer number of opportunities they would have to kill people if they were doing it on purpose…
Politicians have to put up with the same dumb questions (see: turtle flu, so thank you for being part of the political institutions that have to interface with the public.