Some would say that "60 Minutes" commentator Andy Rooney brings out the worst in humanity. But in this age of political correctness and muted opinions, Rooney has more often than not brought out our best with his wit and the fearlessness of his opinions.
As the recipient of this year's Walter Cronkite Award of Excellence - a lifetime achievement award presented by Cronkite on behalf of ASU's journalism program - Rooney exposes the clear divide between those who attempt to keep unwavering and controversial opinions out of American dialogue and those who wish to provoke honest discussions.
In the past year, Rooney has been criticized most often for comments he made about female sideline reporters covering football games on television. By now, most of you know what he said, how he said it and what he says he meant to say.
It isn't the first time Rooney has been backed up against a wall in his career. In the early 1990s, he was suspended by CBS for comments he made about homosexuals to the gay magazine The Advocate. Many believe that had it not been for his good friend Cronkite, Rooney may never have gotten his job back.
Over the years, Greek-Americans, African-Americans, American Indians and even the French have been offended by his remarks. Yet each time, Rooney has risen from the ashes of the appalled and insulted.
Even today, as he accepts recognition for a lifetime of work, one tenured ASU journalism professor, Joseph Russomanno, has pledged to stay away from the award ceremony at the Arizona Biltmore in Phoenix because he believes Rooney's so-called offensive comments are, well, offensive. In fact, Russomanno recently told Phoenix New Times that Rooney was "out of touch with humanity."
Considering the overwhelmingly positive response to Rooney as a provocateur for the past 25 years, we beg to differ. One could make a case that nobody in American media or politics is more in touch with people today than Rooney.
Rooney knows how to push buttons. He still knows - at age 84 - how to make us think. You may not always agree with his opinion at times, but Rooney's curmudgeonly delivery always will force you to think.
Is he sometimes offensive? Yes. But last time we checked, offensive dialogue was neither unlawful nor ineffectual to bring about change.
So Russomanno, and maybe others, will decline the opportunity to recognize a man for his notable achievements in journalism and, even more so, his ability to defend our freedom of speech by exercising his own.
But those who refuse to appreciate Rooney must know that they merely are contributing to an ever-growing problem in American society: The less we allow ourselves to express genuine uncensored thought, the more silent we will be forced to become.
