Tom Brokaw in "American Character Along Highway 50"
courtesy of the USA Network
“Tom Brokaw Presents American Character Along Highway 50” (The USA Network)

“Tom Brokaw Presents American Character Along Highway 50” should be compulsory viewing for all Americans. In a non-political way it presents the problems Americans are facing and how they are working to correct them. Brokaw traveled three thousand miles on Highway 50 from east to west. Along the way he met and interviewed a variety of individuals who had problems that are common to all areas of our nation.

With each group of people he met, and with individuals who are facing their problems alone, Brokaw found discouragement and disappointment. Amazingly he also found hope. It seems that although many of these people didn’t know what the future might hold, and it could possibly be pretty severe, they all still held out that idea of hope that things would and could get better.

The top priorities for these people were the family unit. No matter how bad things seemed to get if they could face the problems with someone they could handle it. In case after case too the community stepped in to help out. People saw a need and they stepped in to help correct it.

Brokaw is the perfect host and guide for a program of this type. His innate goodness comes through and you see how easily he relates to people of all social levels and economic status. He is the friendly grandfather type who just wants to empathize, sympathize and offer encouragement.

If the people in this one hour special represent the backbone of our country then we are still in good shape. They have taken some hard knocks but they are not defeated. They are still fighting and will continue to do so. They do it naturally as they feel it is the American way.

So gather your family around you and watch “American Character Along Highway 50.” You can use it as a teaching moment for your kids and also for yourself. The American Dream is a little battered but it is alive and well along Highway 50, and in the rest of the country too.

“Tom Brokaw Presents American Character Along Highway 50” airs on the USA Network Monday, January 18 at 8PM.
 

 

 

 

 

©2010 Jackie K. Cooper

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