Political Cortex: Brain Food for the Body Politic

Even yesterday as I was channel surfing, I came upon a little story saved for last on Wolf Blitzer's show where they did nothing but continue to speculate as to whether Al Gore is running for President just because he told the truth about Bush and 9.11 in GQ Magazine. Hell, I say it every day, so I suppose I'm running too... (Well actually, I really am running, only I can't divulge the entire super secret plan yet and you have to order the decoder ring first in order to be considered in the circle to be privy to that information.) Dripping sarcasm included.

Others say if he loses weight that's the signal. And that is really fascinating, because I didn't realize there was a weight restriction. Don't recall seeing that in the Constitution. Hmm, could it be him growing his beard back, or would that mean no? Could it be that special wink and smile while saying he has no plans? Is it the secret hand shake or signal during an interview that only those "in the know" will know? How totally childish and wasteful a pursuit in my view. To sit all day watching every move a man makes to see if they can decipher it to mean what they want it to mean is well, stalking, isn't it?

And let's see... he has only stated at least ten thousand times that he has no plans to run. But of course, some political operatives who only want him to run just to have their "anti-hillary" and the entertainment they seem to lack elsewhere in their mundane lives, say that to say you have no plans means you actually do. So in that case I suppose we better look out for Colin Powell as well because it was reported yesterday that he said he has absolutely no plans to run either. How about we just go down the line and ask every living politician that ever served from Roosevelt on down if they are running too? I think it's then only fair, because that's really the most important thing we have to deal with now, right?

What exactly drives this obsession to constantly harass people so incessantly about this? What is the obsession in this country regarding running for President? It is as if president is synonymous with KING, and really, that is a dangerous obsession. Haven't people learned enough about that danger from their handing executive power to Bush on a silver platter with the salt and pepper?

Personally, I think we need to get away from that obsession and worry more about the power the PEOPLE in this country now lack because of that obsession. As that famous saying goes, it is a government "of the people, by the people, and for the people." Not a government of the president, by the president, for the president. How Democratic is that? And for all of the hoopla surrounding one election, the people didn't even seem to care when that title was stolen from Al Gore. So what gives?

When do we as a people truly see what is more important? Perhaps it wouldn't also be such an out of touch dream for so many Americans now if it weren't treated like we were crowning American Royalty. Does anyone honestly believe an average American without connections and the right backing would ever stand a chance in this corrupted sold to the highest bidder system? Yet our media dishes it out, and the people lap it up. Quite a phenomenon. And this presidential election is going to be the same old sound bite, poll driven, mudslinging, rich man's popularity contest it always is, so I think Mr. Gore is then better off out here saving the world by inspiring us to help him.

He even claimed in Portland during his presentation that one election is not going to solve this, and I agree with him. The ice caps in the Arctic and the receding ice in Greenland is not going to stop melting no matter who is in the White House now, but WE can mitigate it to a great extent now by working together, and frankly, that can't wait to be addressed regarding this most important of issues until we go through another media driven election with the same old status quo tactics.

So in regards to Al Gore's work that is so much more important now, all I can say to the political pundits and operatives is, it's the climate crisis, stupid, and the constant one track harping on Al Gore running for president just for media hype in place of discussing the important and crucial planetary emergency we face on a serious level now is not only irresponsible, but immoral.

Instead of senseless prognostication, how about reporting on this:

http://www.commondreams.org /views06/1127-20.htm

by John Borowski

The National Teachers Association (NSTA) has spurned 50,000 free DVDs of Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth" and is squandering a golden opportunity to educate tens of millions of youth in the United States! Why? This 55,000- member organization of teachers and scientists could use Al Gore's film to orchestrate the single most influential educational goal in human history: the awareness and subsequent solving of climate change. There is no denying the escalating list of climate change evidence: from the potential extinction of Polar bears and retreating glacial environments to the increase of global temperatures in unison with increased carbon dioxide levels.

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The NSTA wrote that acceptance of the DVDs would place an "unnecessary risk upon the (NSTA) capital campaign, especially certain targeted supporters." Also in the email, NSTA claimed that they didn't want to offer "political" endorsement of the film and they saw "little, if any benefit to NSTA or its members" in accepting the free DVDs. No benefit to teachers? Science teachers across the country are under-funded, overworked and often grab on to free lessons and materials as a matter of "educational survival 101." What I find despicable is that the NSTA if fully aware of that need and sadly, often aids and abets the "Fossil fuel cartels." They often deny or mislead on climate change and provide teachers with everything from "coal coloring books" to misleading videos such as "Fuel-less-You Can't Be Cool Without Fuel." Simply stated, the NSTA's refusal to distribute Al Gore's film is an unmitigated disaster that will tarnish their reputation as "brokers" of credible science materials, while squandering a prolific moment in educational history: the chance to allow students to become energy pioneers.

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It is not too late for Gerald Wheeler and the NSTA to find the courage and educational moral high ground by accepting those 50,000 free DVDs sitting in an LA warehouse. If you are a teacher, student, parent or citizen: please email Gerald Wheeler at gwheeler@nsta.org and tell him that the special interest that would benefit from those DVDs would be our children!

I actually did write to Mr. Wheeler and entreat him as a parent to look beyond the NSTA's own political and economic bias, so I hope it will at least be read. But will this get any serious coverage by this media? Not bloody likely.

How about showing updated NASA pictures of the receding ice on Greenland? How about having a serious discussion about the global water crisis? You see, the progress we can make regarding this crisis has to also include the media, because it is the media in this country that should be here to educate and enlighten the masses, not just play into the political fantasies of those who use it as an escape hatch from their responsibility. Just calling for Al Gore or any one person for that matter to run isn't enough...It doesn't even scratch the surface. And the media has failed us greatly on that score.

That's why we the people need to get up, turn our tvs off, see the reality, and realize that this government cannot and will not function properly unless WE take our rightful place again as involved informed citizens equal in potential to what any one man can achieve. It isn't just about running for President. As I stated in my previous entry, it's time for all of us to start running for our planet.