‘I can stop when I want to. Can stop when I wish. Can stop, stop, stop anytime….And what a good feeling to feel like this!

In 1969, legendary American television host Fred Rogers known from the brilliant ‘Neighborhood’ television series (1968–2001) appeared before the United States Senate Subcommittee on Communications. WATCH THE HEARING HERE! His goal was to support funding for PBS and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, in response to significant proposed cuts. In about six minutes of a philosophical testimony, Rogers spoke of the need for social and emotional education that American public television provided. He passionately argued that alternative television programming like his Neighborhood helped encourage children to become happy and productive citizens, sometimes opposing less positive messages in media and in popular culture. At the end of the program of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, Rogers always ended with the words: “You’ve made this day a special day, by just your being you. There’s no person in the whole world like you, and I like you, just the way you are.” (VIDEO) But probable the most powerfull statement Rogers made was: “And I feel that if we in public television can only make it clear that feelings are mentionable and manageable, we will have done a great service for mental health. I think that it’s much more dramatic that two men could be working out their feelings of anger – much more dramatic than showing something of gunfire." Also watch Fred Rogers Emmy’s Lifetime Achievement Award speech: "All of us have special ones who have loved us into being. Would you just take, along with me, ten seconds to think of the people who have helped you become who you are … Ten seconds of silence.” (VIDEO) and Fred Rogers inducted into the TV Hall of Fame (VIDEO) Fred Rogers had a great original depth, importance and simplicity of his message for children on TV. “How do we make goodness attractive?" What a legend he was”!