LeVar Burton ‘Outraged’ Over Mitt Romney’s PBS Attack [Video]

Mitt Romney’s pledge to cut government funding to PBS during the first presidential debate has inspired a deluge of criticism from all parts, and you can add the authoritative voice of LeVar Burton to the pile-up. The former Reading Rainbow host admitted that he was “outraged” over Romney’s careless and dismissive regard for PBS.

“I am personally outraged that any serious contender for the White House would target as part of his campaign the children of America in this fashion,” said Burton, best known for his appearances as Kunta Kinte on ABC’s Roots and as Geordi La Forge on Star Trek: The Next Generation.

“Educators across the country, as well as millions of children and adults know that the programming on PBS has been responsible for significant improvements in education, literacy, math, science and life skills for generations of our children,” he continued, via RawStory.

Burton continued his outburst against Mitt Romney Friday, adding to CNN‘s Soledad O’Brien:

“I couldn’t believe the man actually fixed his mouth to say that. I interpreted it as an attack on children, Soledad… an attack on children who come from a disenfranchised, you know, background.”

Burton went on to defend PBS as especially important to children:

“I was raised by a woman whose philosophy it was to give her children the best education she could not afford,” he said. “So there are places where you can cut. There are places where you need to cut. And there are places that you just don’t cut because it is not right.”

Burton also tweeted the following picture Friday, titled “Schooling Mitt” with the hashtag ##BYDHTTMWFI (“But you don’t have to take my word for it”).

Here’s the CNN video of LeVar Burton criticizing Mitt Romney for his debate remarks concerning PBS: