(APN) ATLANTA – Al Gore may be a “recovering politician,” but “You always have to worry about a relapse,” Gore told Atlanta Progressive News.
The in-person exchange with the former Vice President took place following a special screening of “An Inconvenient Truth,” here at Atlantic Station in Midtown Atlanta.
Following the screening of the absolutely breathtaking and monumental film about the grave and present threat of global warming to this planet, Atlanta Progressive News’s Editor asked the former Vice President, “Will you please, please run for President?”
We thought it might help if we asked politely.
After the crowd cheered Gore in encouragement, he told the audience, “I’m a recovering politician, on Step Nine. Thank you for your sentiment.” Things seemed a bit gloomy for a while.
But then later, after the larger crowd left the theater, APN Staff Writer Susan Keith brought the issue up again in a more private, yet informal gathering in the theater after the show. “It’s not a sentiment!” she said, while others in attendance offered their campaign support and said, stop listening to those consultants.
Then, Gore said: “Like I said, I’m a recovering politician. But you always have to worry about a relapse.”
A relapse indeed. Such language appears to have been chosen very carefully.
But the more important thing about tonight’s event is how meticulously and powerfully Mr. Gore and his production team have documented the causes, effects, and dangers of global warming for the mass American public.
The American people need to go out and see this movie in a major way.
Gore said it’s not too late to reverse the trends of global warming, but that some scientists say we might be about ten years away from that point.
It’s an inconvenient truth, but one we must, must as a global community take action upon if we are to avoid massive catastrophe, flooding, displacement, more hurricanes and storms, extinction of species, destruction of the coral reefs, and potentially unbearable warming on this planet.
“Young people can lead this change,” Gore said in his remarks. During the Civil Rights Movement, “It was young people who went to the lunch counters,” Gore said.
Global warming needs to be discussed as a moral issue, Gore said. “This is a moral issue. It should be lifted above partisan politics. Young people can have a much bigger impact than you can imagine you made up your mind to do it.”
Gore also praised independent media, especially Internet media.
Matthew Cardinale is Editor of Atlanta Progressive News. He has written previously for the Sun-Sentinel Newspaper, Shelterforce Magazine, The Advocate Magazine, The San Francisco Bay View, and the Berkeley Daily Planet Newspaper. He has also written for numerous online publications including OpEdNews, BuzzFlash, CommonDreams, AlterNet, RawStory, and TruthOut.
