Site
Contents
 |
General Information about the Area Office
North Indiana Conference Office
South Indiana Conference Office
Prayer Guides
(Courtesy of the NIC Prayer Team)
Area United Methodist
Foundation
For resources to assist your congregation in welcoming guests,
click here
Seashore District Volunteer Center VIM project -- Completed
Hoosier United Methodist News Archives
Indiana Area Office of The United
Methodist Church
1100 West 42nd Street Suite #210
Indianapolis, IN 46208
317.924.1321 (Voice)
317.924.4859 (Fax)
CONTACT: Lynne DeMichele 317/924-1321, Director
September 25, 2001
Release of 'Rage' radio spots coincides with WTC tragedy
At the very moment that the national tragedies of Sept. 11 were playing out in New York, Washington, and Pennsylvania, United Methodist Communications (UMCom) was launching an effort to address the everyday spiral of anger that threatens our existence.
"Rage," UMCom's newest series of radio public-service announcements (PSAs), addresses acts of violence and destruction, immediately bringing to mind the assault on the World Trade Centers and the Pentagon, plane hijackings and the threat of long-term war.
"This rage must stop!" the PSAs contend, because it hurts not only the intended victim, but also the angry individual. The series, which was several months in the making, is on its way to more than 12,000 U.S. radio stations.
The adult-contemporary and country lyrics "You say that life's too much/You feel you've had enough ... The rage inside you hurts" echo feelings of many citizens, directly and indirectly affected by the assaults on U.S. freedom. While anger is an expected response to the losses suffered at the hands of terrorist assailants, it can prove self-destructive or play itself out in inappropriate behavior, experts are saying.
Both President Bush, a United Methodist, and Attorney General John Ashcroft have urged the public to avoid vengeance against Arab-American and Muslim communities for the terrorist attacks. "We must not descend to the level of those who perpetrated Tuesday's violence," Ashcroft told reporters Sept. 13. "Such ... violence and threats are in direct opposition to the very principles and laws for which the United States of America stands."
Produced by UMCom's radio ministries unit, the 10-, 30- and 60-second "Rage" spots urge people to take a deep breath, back off and reconsider. Some communicate loud, raw cries for help; others are more restrained. As daily news reports continue to erupt with accounts of violence spawned by rage, this series offers an antidote to the public. UMCom normally produces two to four radio PSA series per year. A special group of PSAs developed immediately after the terrorist attacks to address the nation's concerns is downloadable in MP3 format at www.umc.org/usattack online.