Racism is ugly and so is FOX news.

The constant noise from FOX News trying to connect the outbreak of Swine Flu to "illegal immigration" is shameful and racist.

Sometimes I wonder who watches this channel. Then I remember, I have friends who are demonstrably bright, learned and great parents; yet, they watch FOX News. I watch for brief moments now and again, but in a concentrated effort to keep my television from being destroyed, I've learned to change the channel, rather than throw the remote at the screen.

The FOX News mission to promote hate and fear by linking Swine Flu to "illegal immigration", is reprehensible; yet overshadowed by the constant pounding of the "water boarding is not torture" drum. Saying something loudly, over and over is a time honored tactic of all bullies.

I guess in this age of multiple media, we all get to choose what and how we want our news. I encourage you to choose to listen to multiple sources. Yes I know that the cable channels seem to have points of view. MSNBC and CNN try to present the story and find the truth. FOX News will lie to you if the truth doesn't jive with whatever editorial position they've been asked to take.

Perhaps one of these days, reason, integrity and a desire to practice journalism ethically will return to FOX News. In the meantime, please watch in small doses with a strong antidote at hand.

Integrity - Jeannette Rankin

Nicholson Baker writes in his book Human Smoke : Jeannette Rankin of Montana, the first woman to be elected to the House of Representatives, voted against declaring war on Germany. It was April 6, 1917.

"I leaned over the gallery rail and watched her," said her friend Harriet Laidlaw, of the Woman Suffrage Party. "She was undergoing the most terrible strain." almost all of her fellow suffrage leaders, including Laidlaw, wanted her to vote yes.

There was a silence when her name was called. "I want to stand by my country," Rankin said. "But I cannot vote for war. I vote no." Fifty other member of the House voted no with her; 374 voted yes. "I felt, " she said later, "that the first time the first woman had a chance to say no to war she should say it."

I don't remember learning about Ms. Rankin in school, shame on me. Her integrity is undeniable. Her sense of self and awareness of her place in history astounds me. I hope it's just my bad memory and not our schools who have forgotten to teach us about this amazing person.

Here is a link to the Jeannette Rankin Foundation.

A film was made about her life called "Peace is a Woman's Job".

I hope peace is a job we all own.

Peace.