I know I’ve probably overdone the stories about my experience at the National Conference on Media Reform last weekend. But I just couldn’t help doing one more quick essay. That’s because they have finally produced a video of Amy Goodman’s speech at the plenary session last Sunday morning. And I wanted to provide the opportunity for you to witness the brilliance of what she had to say.

In a room of over 3,000 people, you could have heard a pin drop as Amy tells her story at the beginning of this speech. So I’d encourage everyone to take the 18 minutes or so to watch and know that it will be time well spent. In the end, I promise that you will be inspired to continue your work. What yo do, no matter how large or small, is THAT important!!!  

I’m not always so good at zeroing in on particular issues, providing details related to them, or  analyzing solutions. That’s why I’m so grateful to many of you here that do that difficult work and keep folks like me informed. We’re all hardwired differently when it comes to these kinds of things and I say, “thank the universe for that” because together…we can cover it all.

My particular brain is always trying to question direction and see patterns…to look below the surface and try to determine what’s driving things. So today, when I’ve taken in the information so many of you have provided about things like torture, chemical weapons, modern-day slavery, the intersection of race, gender and class, and the effects of intolerance, I wonder if there is anything that connects these dots. I know that solving these issues will take organized efforts on the individual issues. But what is it that prevents us from getting busy and getting the job done??? I don’t think the problem is in finding solutions, but in motivating people to do it.  

Today, I’d like to riff on a comment made by Valtin in Buhdy’s essay this week about fear:

All fears are conquered, ultimately, by facing them, and by accepting the fear that is felt, and acting anyway.

The trick is to face the fear. For that, one needs social support. This is how soldiers go into battle: solidarity with their comrades, and with leadership they believe in.

The same will be true for the legions who must be mobilized to change things. Once people perceive that others are willing to take the risk, things can begin to move quickly.

It is my assessment that the political elites, both Democratic and Republican, are sitting on a social volcano.

And when it blows…

(emphasis mine)

OK, admit it…you went to make-out parties in junior high school, didn’t you? What I want to know tonight is, what music did you listen to while you were “learning the ropes” with that favorite someone? Here are a few from my memories.

The Righteous Brothers were maybe the best at this genre.

I was pretty blown away by Keith Olbermann’s Special Comment last night. Blown away because it is probably the most powerful statement I’ve heard yet about this Iraq War debacle and McCain’s duplicity. And that’s saying alot since we’ve all heard so much on these subjects over the last 5 years.

So if you missed it last night, here’s the transcript and here’s the video in two parts (a total of just over 12 minutes).

I was dumbstruck last night by Keith Olbermann’s Special Comment. Dumbstruck in the sense that it was one of the most powerful statements about this Iraq War debacle that I have heard – and we’ve all heard alot in the last 5 years.

So, in case anyone didn’t see it, here is the transcript and here is the video in two parts (a total of just over 12 minutes).