Turner receives Schweitzer medal

Ted Turner, founder of Cable News Network (CNN), Turner Network Television and the Turner Foundation, received the Albert Schweitzer Award for Humanitarianism in a ceremony on Monday in Shriver Hall. The daughter of Schweitzer and Johns Hopkins University President William Brody explained that Turner was chosen for the award because of his work on nuclear disarmament, his efforts to save the environment and his excellent example of ethics in business.

After accepting the award, Turner spoke about the Sept. 11 attacks on New York and Washington, D.C, and America's reaction to the attacks.

"It's very very hard for all of us to deal with the tragedy, said Turner. "People are in shock with the magnitude, severity, with the unexpectedness of the attacks."

Turner founded CNN in 1980 as the first around-the-clock news channel. Later, he founded the Turner Foundation, an organization dedicated to saving the environment, promoting sound population policies and protecting wildlife.

"They said on the news that the world would never be the same," Turner said. "The cost to the terrorists was estimated at $500,000 and 19 lives. All they had to do was find young men willing to die for this. For what? We know there's a lot of resentment in the world because we're on top. When you're rich and powerful, there's resentment from those that have so little."

Turner has been active in promoting aid for what he deemed as "miserable people," those people living in conditions well below acceptable levels. He cited his payment of the United States' debt to the UN as one example of helping such people.

"There is a lot of misery in those people," said Turner. "Only miserable people, or those who think they're representing miserable people, would be willing to give their lives. I have been troubled for a number of years [by the living conditions of the Afghani people.]"

Turner joked that "the only thing that can really be done is to buy Afghanistan. It will be cheaper in the long run."

While he did not directly criticize the Bush administration for its response to the attacks, Turner expressed support for a resolution that targeted the suspected terrorists, rather than the people of Afghanistan.

"Martin Luther King, Jr. said we must pursue peaceful ends through peaceful means," Turner said. "Of course, the people responsible for the attacks should be brought to justice if they can be found."

"Terrorism is almost impossible to stamp out," said Turner. "I would hope that the president and his administration show discretion [in their response to the attacks.] We could very easily turn all the goodwill of the world against us."

Turner also talked about the possibility that weapons of mass destruction, such as nuclear weapons and biological agents, could fall into the hands of terrorists.

"We have to be thankful that weapons of mass destruction haven't fallen into terrorist hands," Turner said. "The continued existence of this material posses a humongous threat to the U.S. If somebody turns lose smallpox, a third of the world's lives will be wiped out. If [the attackers] had dropped a nuclear bomb [on New York,] we would have had three to four million people dead."

The economic loss from the attacks themselves and losses caused as a result of the attacks have been of much interest to Turner since the stock market has dropped.

"The stock market went [down in value] $1.4 trillion in the first week," said Turner. "With the war coming up, the cost of is at least $2 trillion, which doesn't include the loss of life. In one day, in one half-hour, we lost a quarter of the entire cost of the Cold War for both [the Americans and Russians.]"

Turner, who is the largest land-holder in the US, has been active in several international efforts. Besides the Turner Foundation and his gift to the UN, he has worked with former senator Sam Nunn towards the destruction of the world's nuclear arsenal.

"The US, since the end of the Cold War, has been the sole superpower," said Turner. "In the last 10 years, we have not lived up to this role. We have money, power and responsibility."

According to Turner, many misconceptions exist about American involvement around the world.

"The average American thinks we are giving 10 percent of our Gross National Product to . international aide," said Turner. "The truth is that we contribute only one-tenth of one percent, and most of that goes to Israel and Egypt so they won't wage war with each other."

The Schweitzer award was last given out in 1997, when the recipient was former President George Bush.