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Michael, I know how busy you must be these days, it seems like you’re everywhere I look. So, I greatly appreciate any time you spend with this e-mail. First of all, THANK YOU! “Bowling” is the most important movie I’ve seen for a long time. I especially enjoyed how you slipped in all the horrific things our gov’ment has done to the world (well not all, but enough to startle the sheep without making them run from the theatre). I think the film has done much spark open conversations among people who would not normally think about such things. Great Work! My reasons for writing are multi-faceted but all concern a brave woman with a mission that I thought you would be interested in. After the 2000 election was stolen Jeanette Wallis decided to take the First Amendment literally. She began gathering "grievances" (hand-written letters to the President) on Inauguration Day from citizens who felt their votes and voices weren't being heard, and promised to carry them across the United States -- gathering more along the way -- to hand-deliver to the President in Washington, DC. It is her most sincere hope that her fellow citizens recognize that democracy doesn't work if the people are silent. Delivering the grievances in this case is actually just the catalyst for this mission with the ultimate objective being to awaken average citizens to take a participatory stance on gov’ment. Jeanette’s action, “The Walk for Democracy”, is an excellent example of the domino effect that 1 dedicated human can set off when they speak out. In the first half of her journey on foot from Seattle to Iowa she has inspired many people to undertake their own actions and has left a trail of increased participation in her wake. Idaho’s brand spankin’ new Indy Media Center is a direct result of Jeanette’s inspiration. I became interested in Jeanette’s “Walk” when I found out about her from the Rage Against the Machine website. I was intrigued by what I perceived as a comrade of Peace Pilgrim; whose life’s work I had learned of only after her death. Initially, helping Jeanette’s mission was my response to the internal question “What if that was Peace Pilgrim out there… ?”. I knew I needed to do something to help get the word out or I would not be able to live with myself. So, while she was still in Colorado, I drove from out to meet her from California. I spent 1 day hanging out with Jeanette and Lisa, her support driver between Utah & Kansas. I shot some video of the women; in an attempt to get the who, what and why of The Walk for Democracy out to the internet masses. You can watch the 3 short video’s that I put together with my Digital 8 camera on this page of my website. I had hoped to help inspire other filmmakers in her path to pick up their camera’s so that The Walk would be covered for the remainder of Jeanette’s journey by a collective of activist filmmakers… So far this has not happened. I have often heard Jeanette speak in admiration of you and I know that ANY help you could offer The Walk for Democracy would be both welcome and appreciated. I know that the making of Roger & Me was greatly accelerated by some unforeseen support you received for the project. “Without his generosity, "Roger & Me" might never had been made”. So I thought you might want to be aware of this action that could use a boost. The Walk for Democracy is strictly the undertaking of 1 American. Jeanette has no direct organizational support. Only the freely offered support of the individuals she inspires on her journey to place the thoughts of a nation in the hands of an illegitimate dictator. Realistically, the true value of The Walk has little to do the destination beyond the symbolic nature of it. The value of the action is the trail of inspired, informed voters and activists Jeanette leaves behind her. Now to my dilemma; I earn my keep through web design at the moment, which gives me a great deal of flexibility with my time and location. I’m considering packing up the car and heading off to Iowa to pick up her story again, since no one else has. It seems do-able so I’ll likely leave in about 3 weeks baring complications. If this plan becomes unfeasible; I’ve decide to send her my camera so she can at least document the trip to the best of her ability (any footage is better than none). It’s an old Digital 8 camera with bad audio. I have decided that the camera is only really usable for loud protest coverage and such and I’ve grown weary of covering the LA protests in favor of more direct participation in the events. So it would likely just sit on the shelf, anyway. But going into this with the foreknowledge that the footage quality will limit distribution to the internet, at best, is somewhat discouraging. Am I an idiot? I’d be lying if I said this was an easy decision, even a crappy camera is valuable if it’s the only one you have. And the possibility of not being able to complete my web jobs from a remote location could cut my participation short because I have to keep up with the maintenance on my existing clients sites from the road or I’ll have no income. Anyway … am I an idiot? Is this the type of action that you think would be valuable for the masses to learn about? I respect and agree with your opinions on most things. Especially when it comes to culture jamming know how. I realize there may be little humor to mine from this action (which does make it more difficult to find willing ears) but the importance of encouraging a Participatory Democracy over the Demockery we find ourselves in, seems direly important to me at this time. respect, http://www.thewalkfordemocracy.org Hind Site 12-1-04 Just think how much your early endorsment of Kucinich would have meant to his campaign. When the pudheads were making jokes about his electability and stature, your endorsement of a candidate that actually stood for your own beliefs could have created the ground swell that forced people to take him seroiusly... Instead you endorsed the War Criminal you exposed in your own damn movie. Did you really think your fans were Stupid enough to not see through that? To not go.. "huh!?" and cock their heads like a dog that hears something mere humans cannot? Your endorsment of Clark didn't help him because the bulk of your fans aren't the lemmings you supposed them to be. How much did he pay you?! Thanks for making Fahrenheit. It's a great flick for those who know nothing of the truth and might be offended if they got a full dose of truth in 1 sitting. It's entertaining, too. Mom loved it... and voted for Bush. Too bad you didn't drive that sucker home with the hard
facts. Success has made you weak and no longer willing to play
hard ball. Time to leave the field. |
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