"I want more people to realize that this form of free speech is a vulnerable chink in the armor of the corporate-controlled mass media. For the cost of paint and a little gas, I can transmit a message to a million people," he says.
Personally I find this kind of persistence and dedication inspiring. Here is someone who was fed up with the status quo and decided to do what he could, where he was at the time. In other words, he took action based on his conscience. He showed, and continues to show the kind of courage that has always emerged when our basic freedoms have been threatened. In simple terms, he bought a can of paint and went dumpster diving for cardboard.
Howard Zinn, a historian with a deep social conscience, in his book “A Power that Governments Cannot Suppress” reminds us:
“There are millions of people in the country opposed to the current war. When you see a statistic “40 percent of Americans support the war,” that means that 60 percent of Americans do not. I am convinced that the number of people opposed to the war will continue to rise while the number of war supporters will continue to sink.
“Along the way, artists, musicians, writers, and cultural workers lend a special emotional and spiritual power to the movement for peace and justice. Rebellion often starts as something cultural.
“The challenge remains. On the other side are formidable forces: money, political power, the major media. On our side are the people of the world and a power greater then money or weapons: the truth.
“Truth has a power of its own. Art has a power of its own. That age-old lesson---that everything we do matters---is the meaning of the people’s struggle in the United States and everywhere. A poem can inspire a movement. A pamphlet can spark a revolution. Civil disobedience can arouse people and provoke us to think. When we organize with one another, when we get involved, when we stand up and speak out together, we can create a power that no government can suppress.
“We live in a beautiful country. But people who have no respect for human life, freedom or justice have taken it over. It is now up to all of us to take it back.”
In closing I offer this thought: As a nation we have not lost our voice. It is clear and resonant, articulate and inspiring. The Freeway Blogger reminds us that we can he heard, if we have a will to be heard. I acknowledge all the people who courageously make their voices heard on this and hundreds of other Progressive sites, out of their passionate love for the American ideal. It is never too late to make a difference. I invite everyone who wants to take back America to use their best creativity, their best resourcefulness and their best courage to tell the truth visibly and vocally, whenever the opportunity arises.
In the words of the Freeway Blogger “You Have the Right to Remain Silent…but I don’t Recommend it!”
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