Kathy Fountain's Your Turn Blog

I'm disgusted.

There's nothing I feel more proud of than that the forum that Fox 13 Your Turn provides every day at noon, for people to express their opinions and respectfully disagree about the topics of the day. We are very fortunate in this TV market to have the luxury of a half-hour of informed dicussion.

News flash: To the guy who called in today and called Sen. Obama a racial slur - the worst racial slur - then I say you have squandered this opportunity, you have taken the political discourse into the gutter; and you have wasted my time.

I trust that people who call in will have something relevant to say. I respect all political views expressed on the show, and have no time for such a cowardly act.. pretend you're going to say one thing, then spew out something so shocking it left my guests reeling, and left me with the sick realization that racism is still haunting our world.

I realize many of our loyal viewers were offended and they have a right to be. We were just as offended - myself, my producer, the entire production staff, and my guest panel. However, one offensive caller will not prevent us from continuing our commitment to providing a forum that is respectful to all.

By the time I started a talk show in this market, Bill Murphy was already well on his way, and I remember we used to fight over celebrity guests.. if Murph had 'em first, I couldn't stand it! But we have been colleagues for much longer than we were competitors, and I love the guy.. can't believe he is leaving, and I know he will do something special with his life.

Another guy is leaving Channel 13 much more quietly.. after 40 years in the business, starting with his days at "Big 13" , production manager Jim "Peeker" Benedict is leaving as well. I always said he was more Dick Clark than Dick Clark.. the man never aged a day and I can't say enough great about him as a person. Good luck Peeker!

And because I haven't said it before, I have to say it now: The market lost a unique journalist when Hugh Smith passed away. He was the consummate professional who was ruling the newsroom when I came here. He stood for getting it right.. and never bought into the old adage "never let the facts stand in the way of a good story." He'd rather die first, and I learned a lot from him.

I grew to know him on a  personal level in later years, and saw him for the man he truly was behind the tough exterior: Humane, complicated and vulnerable.  For many years, I saved a small pink post-it note he gave me, with his stern advice for a young reporter: "Always, always, always write your lead first!".  Well Hugh, I'm now writing the tag to your story.. God speed.  

Nick Bollea Hogan had a "role" to play in his family's reality TV show, "Hogan Knows Best." Now, we all know that a reality show is not really that.. it's contrived to have a story line and exaggerated characters.

I've met and had conversations with Hulk Hogan throught the years, and I believe him to be an honorable, good man. I've always liked him. He' probably a well-intentioned parent, as well. But to submit your family to the glare of reality-show cameras, exposes all family members to public scrutiny and manipulation.

Nick's "role" on the show was crafted to be the rebellious teenager, who was always pushing the limits. I'm not excusing his behavior, but was he encouraged to live up to the label? A young teenage boy, the son of privilege and celebrity, appears to have been  given liberal leeway to make choices.. how do you reign that in, once given?

Did a reality show end up mirroring life.. or contributing to it? (whew, I had to get that off my chest, and we'll talk about it on Your Turn). Tell me what you think.

When I heard about USF student Rachel Futterman dying of bacterial meningitis, I first felt sadness for her and her family, then panic about my own son who had just gone off to college a few weeks ago. I remember him getting some shots, but had the meningitis vaccine been one of them? There was so much going on, I wasn't sure.

Turns out, he had gotten the vaccine. (sign of relief here). But after doing research for today's Your Turn, I discovered only 12 percent of teens got the vaccine in 2006. Some states require it, most don't. Maybe Florida should. 

Today I met a young man who contracted meningitis when he was just 14, on a hiking trip with some other boys.. they were all passing around the water bottle. Don't all kids do that? After experiencing flu-like symptoms, collapsing, and spending 2 months in an induced coma, Nick Springer woke up - with both legs and both forearms amputated from complications from the disease. That was 8 years ago. Today, to see him get around, you'd be amazed at his agility.. he gets himself in and out of chairs, and even texts on his cell phone. Plus, he's planning to play wheelchair rugby this summer in the Paralympics in China.

Nick wants you to know that your kids need to get that vaccine.. he wants you to go to the National Meningitis website at www.nmaus.org, or call your local health department. Most of the time, the shots are free for teens at 11-18. He wants you to know that he's one of the lucky ones, but he doesn't want this to happen to anybody else. 

Through the years, I've had the chance to interview a lot of celebrities. One of my first jobs at Channel 13 was to fly to LA on CBS junkets, and interview stars. On my old studio-audience talk show, I frequently interviewed stars, singers and actors passing through town.

Don't think I've ever had a more pleasant experience than I did today.. meeting Charles "Roc" Dutton. Oh sure, many celebrities put on their act when the camera comes on, and behind the scenes, can be real jerks.

Not this guy. You may know him from Fox TV's Roc, winning Tonys on Broadway, and Emmy's for HBO series "The Corner", and "Oz." He's been in "Rudy", "Get on the Bus," in fact more than 80 films and TV series. The question he is most often asked is, "what was it like to kiss Halle Berry in the movie Gothika?" (Answer: great!).

He was in Tampa to promote a play he's doing in November called "From Jail to Yale." That's right, his true story is that he was a punk juvenile from the 60s, serving time in a Maryland prison for knifing a man and killing him. By accident, he read a book of plays and realized he wanted to be an actor. He turned his life around, and ended up getting a master's from Yale! Why was he in Tampa? to help out Abe Brown prison ministries, and there's no better way to step and do something for those who need a helping hand.

Behind the scenes, Charles Roc Dutton was a class act. Kind, patient, friendly and about as genuine as they come. Sorry to ramble, but celebrities like that are extremely rare. When you hear about his play come November, check it out. He's one of the good guys. (and maybe one day I'll write a book about the bad ones!)

Thank you Arky and the other bloggers for appreciating the nuances of the Your Turn we put together this week, on the new wrinkle in the federal law that will require juveniles as young as 14 to be put on the adult sex offender registry.

I agree that for some juveniles, their crimes are heinous, dangerous and indicative of future violence.  Those youngsters - some as young as 8 or 9 - do deserve to have their records available to law enforcement, counselors, even future employers, with limited access.  The public should be protected from these young criminals.

But to cast that wide a net that will label ALL these kids for the rest of their lives is irresponsible and an overreaction. Too many kids have acted out sexually only to receive treatment and change their lives. Many teens do stupid sexual things - oral sex, fondling, etc., that in my opinion constitute just that - stupidity - but it does not rise to the level of an adult registry. How many families will come forward now, if they know their family secret will have such negative repurcussions? If sex offenders are not allowed to come within 1,000 feet of a school, where will these kids go to school? How will they live in their own homes?

Since the law took effect in July, already 9 juveniles have been named to the registry, and I expect the number to snowball. I have heard details about several of them, and you would be shocked how minor the offenses were, to be given this label. So let's incarcerate the truly disturbed juveniles, and allow the others to receive treatment and the chance to learn healthy behaviors, before we create a new generation of pariahs. Thank you  Arky. 

When a Polk County girl left her baby at a fire station last week under Florida's Safe Haven law, they fielded calls from all over the country, from couples wanting to adopt the child.

There are so many couples desperate for a baby, and newborns to adopt are not exactly commonplace. Thanks to the Safe Haven law, which allows women to drop off their babies at hospitals and fire stations, a total of 77 babies have been saved since the law went into effect in 2000.

Sadly, 37 were not as fortunate.. they were dumped, abandoned, and many did not survive. There is a real urgency for girls who find themselves pregnant and in a desperate situation, to do the right thing for themselves and their babies.  Statistically, many unwed pregnant girls have been sexually abused earlier in life, and their behavior with men is an unfortunately result.

The website for Save Haven, http://www.asafehavenfornewborns.com/, will show you the children that are alive today as a result. Also, this information from our Your Turn show on the same topic, Alpha House for pregnant girls is (813) 875-2024. Attorney Christine Welch has a list of couples waiting for a baby to adopt, she can reached at (813) 835-6000. With so many options, pregnant women should do the right thing.

So only 8 of the 18 benchmarks for success in Iraq have been met. Who set them up, anyway and who decides what they mean?

Many Americans have war fatigue and see this latest report as signaling a failure in Iraq. Iraqis feel they're being wedged in a box -  perform within a timetable, or else we'll take our toys and go home.  But how can they be expected to create a constitution, a uniform set of laws, a constitution, rights for individuals, rights for minority parties, humane court system and equitable distribution of oil revenues - out of nothing?

Wait a minute... was that America's mission when we went to Iraq - to build them a nation? I don't remember that being the goal, but it's looking like that now.

I'd love to hear your opinions to a simple question: What would it mean to "win" in Iraq?

This whole "Scooter" Libby thing reminds me again of the hypocricy of politics.. but isn't it fascinating as well?

President Bush commutes Scooter Libby's sentence for obstruction of justice (translation: lying), and the Democrats go wild. The Clintons, especially, look foolish for criticizing Bush's actions, when Bill Clinton pardoned Marc Rich, a financier who defrauded people of millions of dollars.

Hypocritical? Absolutely. But then again, it was the Republicans who went after President Clinton for.. lying. I don't know which side is hollering louder, or with more feigned indignation, when the opposite party is caught not telling the truth. With all due respect, a little truth wouldn't hurt on both sides.

But the irony here.. guess who represented Marc Rich as legal counsel? That would be none other than Lewis "Scooter" Libby.  

Isn't politics wonderful??

A disturbing finding: 70% of parents are "uncomfortable" with their kids' time spent on the computer.  "Uncomfortable"? If they feel that way, why aren't they just plain scared?

The AMA is now considering making video game addition a psychiatric disorder. They backed off that position earlier this week and I agree.. this "addiction" is probably real but maybe it should start with parents not being afraid to say "no" to their kids and setting limits.

Is this scary? And video game addiction is not limited to kids, in fact the 30-year-old set is among the heaviest users. And there are gamers who engage in the multi-player games who actually "outsource" others to continue their play while they take a break, go to work, change a diaper, etc.

If you're uncomfortable with your kids' computer screen time, try these websites:

www.netaddiction.com/resources/parents__test.htm>; www.familysafemedia.com; www.gamerwidow.com; www.onlinegamersanon.

And if you're an adult who spends hours every day playing video games.. are you an addict?

Today and Tomorrow (6/11 and 6/12) my Your Turn topics will be the presidential hopefuls from both parties.

Monday, we'll debate the merits of the Republican candidates, and Tuesday, we'll tackle the Democrats. Back to back. Fair and balanced.

Who do you think, of either party, has the best chance to win the nomination?

Or call in and tell us what you think.. either day 12:30 to 1 p.m.

I have a particular empathy with couples who struggle to have a child. When I couldn't get pregnant a few years ago, the thought of adoption crossed my mind, but I didn't act on it. I've rethought that decision many times.

Adoption sounds unpredictable. Scary. Red tape. Birth parents change their mind. The adoptive kids have problems. Sometimes those concerns are true, but many times they are not. On Wednesday,'s Your Turn, people who help others adopt made it sound like it could be easy. And certainly worth considering.

Nicole Witt heads up the Adoption Consultancy, not an agency but a program that matches up couples with agencies that fit their needs.. she says many adopt newborns in 3 to 12 months! She's holding a free seminar on how to adopt at the Tampa Library on Ashely Dr. on Saturday June 2, from 9 to 11 a.m. Call (813) 681-6232 or www.TheAdoptionConsultancy.com.

Also, Dr. Mark Trolice is a Reproductive Endocrinologist from Orlando who spent years himself trying to have children, only to end up adopting two children successfully. He's a huge advocate.. his web site is www.fertiledreams.org. I hope people who hesitate might give adoption a second look.

It's got a great beat and millions of young people buy it.. but what was once a creative, sometimes conscious outlet for expression, is now a violence genre of music videos and lyrics that are misogynistic, homophobic and vile. 

The same rap songs play over and over again, with no variety, just the same old stereotypes. It didn't take Don Imus to fuel a backlash against this music, and it's coming from the black community. But they're up against a monster machine of hip hop artists and record companies that are getting filthy rich on the dollars of kids who are lapping this stuff up.

My problem is that it's infecting our culture, perpetuating stereotypes against women, or any male who's not 'hard' or 'hyper-masculine.' And those ideas quickly have turned into bad, sometime abusive, behavior. My other problem is that we aren't being offered a choice.

I know.. people are going to buy this stuff and it's up to the consumer to make different choices. But there are "conscious" rappers out there whose music isn't getting played by the mainstream radio stations, so how are buyers supposed to make a choice?

Had a conscious rapper on Your Turn Thursday, Tommy Kyllonen, aka Urban D. If you agree with what I'm saying, check out his video: www.myspace.com/urband813 or www.urband.org. Cool.

It's Iraq, it's in the middle of the night, and an American soldier is standing guard at a checkpoint.

A car speeds toward him, and ignores his warnings. Fearing suicide bombers, his orders are to shoot. He does. Little does he know that the speeding car carries an Italian intelligence officer Nicola Calipari, and Giuliana Sgrena, an Italian journalist who's just been freed from Iraqi captors.

Specialist Mario Lozano aims his machine gun.. and Calipari is shot and killed. An American investigation concluded that SPC Lozano acted appropriately, and it was an unfortunate accident.

The shooting, however, turns into a huge news story in Italy, and has become an international incident. Italy now is putting this American soldier on trial for murder, in absentia, in Italy. Because it's a delicate political situation, the U.S. Military want this to go away.  SPC Lozano has been forced to hired a private attorney, in this case, internationally known prosecutor Greg Kehoe from Tampa.. he's the guy our government hired to build a case against Saddam Hussein.

If found guilty, SPC Lozano will forever carry the stain of a murder conviction, and the possibility of future extradition to Italy. Ironically, the U.S. allies were working with the Italians on the release of the journalist hostage, but Itaty broke off contact right before her release. Had the U.S. been in on the release, our soldiers would have known who was in that car.

If you'd like to read more or support Mario Lozano, go to www.defendlozano.org.

Doesn't this American soldier deserve better, for doing his job?

Our own most-famous and talked-about local shock jock Bubba the Love Sponge - now heard on Sirius Satellite Radio - weighed in on the Imus controversy today on Your Turn.

Bubba thinks Imus should not apologize, that his comment was not racist, and that people need to get over themselves over the rantings of an over-the-hill personality like Imus who was trying to act cool. And besides.. Bubba says he himself has said worse on his show and has called women of all races "BLEEP's."

Okay.. thanks Bubba. On the other side of the table sat Eric Deggans, who heads up the media monitoring committee for the National Assocation of Black Journalists. Deggans thinks the country has reached a saturation point with racist, derogatory language and that Imus needs to go, not just for this latest comment, but for his whole history of insults.

Now, Deggans and Bubba go way back. They have a kind of respect for each other. So it wasn't an angry confrontation, just a spirited debate that should make us all examine what we think about the bigger issue, which to me is this:

Let's agree that Imus did a stupid thing. Let's agree that calling somebody "nappy headed BLEEP's" is an insult to those young women. But I want to know why it's not okay for Imus to say, but it's okay for rappers to say? I applaud Bill Cosby and others who have spoken out against the language used by rap artists, but when will Sharpton and Jackson bring the same protestors to the concerts by the superstar rappers? They've brought these words into popular culture and profited by kids - white, black and hispanic - buying their music. So when these slurs become so commonplace in our lexicon, where's the outrage? The shock isn't just left up to the DJ's, it should be shocking to us all. Blog and tell me what you think.