Saturday, October 30, 2010

Alex Maslow's Speech

I do not have the text for John Aronno or Shannyn Moore's speech.  If they send them to me, I will post them.  Kokayi Nosakhere and Ceezer Martinez did not give prepared speeches, and opted for the much braver "off-the-cuff" speech, and while both speeches were incredibly energetic, alas, there is no transcript.

I would also like to apologize to anyone named Tom Emmet.  The Minnesota gubernatorial candidate I was trying to talk about was Tom Emmer, but I guess I read it wrong during the speech, because I said Tom Emmet.  Thanks to those who pointed this error out to me.

And a quick google search reveals that the most famous person named Tom Emmet is!!!   A famous cricket player.  In the 1800s.  Whoops.  Anyway, the speech!




Welcome to the 2010 Anchorage Rally to Restore Sanity.  I want to welcome those among us who may have been present at the Wasilla rally earlier today and thank you for making the effort to drive down here for another round of sanity.  I’d like to thank Heather Aronno for organizing this event and working through the red tape that is involved in making such a rally occur - we are truly in your debt.

What are we here for?  What do we mean by restoring sanity?  Well, part of the point of this rally is that we all have very nuanced views that cannot be summed up in catchy slogans.  But for me,  it means something pretty simple:  Calling radicalism what it is.  We’ve become either desensitized to extremes or deceived ourselves into believing they are something less sinister.  It’s time for us to wake up and take action, or risk waking up after election day in a world we might not recognize.  What, exactly, am I talking about?

Art Robinson of Oregon believes AIDS is not a disease, but merely what God uses to kill gay people.  He also believes blacks are inferior to whites, a belief which he teaches to his homeschooled children.  This is, let’s be clear, homophobia and racism.  And people are still going to vote for him.

                Sharon Angle of Nevada told members of the Hispanic Student Union “Some of you look a little more Asian to me.”  I’m not sure if that’s racist or just stupid, but it is damned insensitive.  And people are still going to vote for her.

                Tom Emmer, who is running for of governor of Minnesota, gave money to a group called “You Can Run but You Cannot Hide,” whose leader said on the radio, “If America won’t enforce the laws [of the Bible], God will raise up a foreign enemy to do just that!”  When asked about his ties to the group, Emmer said, “They come across as really nice guys."  No.  They don’t.  And yes, people are still going to vote for him.

Right here in Alaska, Joe Miller’s security team arrested a reporter who was trying to ask him questions.  Further Miller recently praised Soviet-Era East Germany for their success at securing their border, and said this should be the model for protecting America’s borders.  The Soviets were not trying to keep outsiders from getting in, but were trying to keep their own citizens from getting out.  To want to model our own border security on Soviet East Germany shows ignorance so appalling, so reprehensible, I don’t even know how to express it!  And people are still going to vote for him.      

                Finally, 20% of Americans believe President Barack Obama is a Muslim.  A secret Muslim, whatever that means.  Not only is this factually incorrect, but it is racist because it implies a Muslim would not be fit to lead this nation.  And most of these people are going to vote!

It is clear we have a serious crisis of sanity on our hands.  But it gets worse.  As I said, those who agree with these hateful or ignorant beliefs are motivated, very motivated, to go out and vote this Tuesday.  And those who recognize the hate for what it is, like all of you fine people, are not very motivated to go vote, because they have no idea who to vote for instead.  Some are even considering sitting this election out.  And that’s what worries me the most.

I am worried about millions of Americans voting for the loudest and most extreme politicians, while many more millions sit at home, disgusted with their options, and refuse to vote.  It may seem like a conscientious boycott of radicalism, but it is instead an abdication of power.  And while such a widespread power shift worries me, what really worries me more are the implications for the future.

Politicians need votes.  Politicians don’t particularly care who votes for them, just as long as they get enough votes.  If the only people voting are those with extreme views, then the politicians are going to become more extreme.  Sure, some principled politicians will step down, but there are plenty of other extremists ready to take their place.  And then in 2012, more extremists will run, and we will against refuse to vote on principle, and so the extremist will win again.  See the vicious cycle?

Today, we have shown there is the political power to prevent such a catastrophe.

In the past few weeks, we have rallied ourselves and others to the cause of sanity, and today those efforts have come to fruition. We see now that we are not alone, as the media has tried to make us feel.  Americans from across the country have come together to stand for a return of sanity to politics, rejecting fear and obstructionism in favor of constructive discussions and reasonable criticism.  Now all we have to do is vote.

So, just vote.  It’s that simple.  By voting this Tuesday, we reject the hurtful “us versus them” narrative of the media.  By voting this Tuesday, we send a message to politicians that moderation is not a sign of weakness.  By voting this Tuesday, we deny that the only options are socialism or freedom.  By voting we vote this Tuesday, we give voice to sanity and reason.  So get out the vote, and thank you everyone for coming today!

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Wasilla rally

It began in a small town.  "A New Kind of Candidate" rose from obscurity, and soon Sarah Palin was known throughout the nation, loved by some and hated by others.  There was no grey area - no place for the sane to stand.  But now it is time for Wasilla to rise again and show it is not full of similar polarizing figures, but good natured folk who can kindly disagree on political issues.  So comes the much-anticipated sequel, "Wasilla strikes back!"  Rife with jokes, such as "Why are we the Empire in this analogy?" "Does this make Sarah Palin Luke Skywalker?" and "Does this make Glenn Beck Chewbacca, with all that growling?"  Who cares, because as ridiculous as all that is, it is nothing for the third installment, coming out November 2nd, "The Return of Sanity."

But many people do not know that this third installment is only in production.  It is possible, oh so possible, for another movie to come out instead.  A darker movie, a scarier movie, a movie of all that is wrong with the world.  "The Revenge of Fear."

OK, ridiculousness asides, there is a Rally in Wasilla on October 30th from 8-11 AM at the Wasilla Middle School.  I'll post updates as I hear about them, but I recommend following the rally's own site, as that's where I'll be getting my information anyway.

Meanwhile, for information about the Anchorage rally to restore sanity, this site is your source of the most updated information.  You can also get on our e-mailing list, by e-mailing rally4sanityAK@gmail.com.

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Our flier!

So we already had a cause and a date.  Now we have a time and a place, and a flier explaining it all!  The only thing we need now is to spread the word.  So print this flier and post it around town, at your office, in your classroom, anywhere you can think of!  Send it to your e-mail mailing list.  This is happening and this is real.  Get pumped!

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Our Soapbox column in The Northern Light

Published September 28th, 2010.


‘Rally to Restore Sanity’ a necessary relief from crazed political tensions

Last week, Jon Stewart announced on The Daily Show the “Rally to Restore Sanity.” Jon Stewart is seen as a leader among liberals, and so naturally the event has been seen as a liberal effort. But sanity is something everyone ought to be able to agree on as being important. Without sanity, we cannot have a functioning democracy. But what do I mean by sanity?
By sanity, I mean healthy debates. The need for such debates may seem obvious, and indeed I hope it is, but many Americans seem to have forgotten that completely, whether by their own desires or by being swept up in hysteria.  That is an incredibly dangerous thing to happen in a democracy.
A democracy thrives on debate. The strength of a democracy is measured not by its elections, but by the civility of its debates, as well as the demeanor of the losing side after the election.
In a strong democracy, there is a healthy debate where evidence is presented and the virtues and flaws of the opposing ideas are pointed out. Both ideas have positive results and negative consequences.
After the debate, the voters decide which of these two ideas are best for the country. The winning side is then able to implement its idea, and the losing side must yield to the voters’ decisions.
Does this mean the winning side was right? Of course not! But if the losers throw a fit after every vote, progress becomes impossible. Not only does this generally stall the political gears of a nation, it also changes the discussion dramatically.
Instead of admitting defeat and preparing for the next debate (for there will always be a next debate), the losing side takes a vested interest in the failure of their opponent’s plans. Since their opponent’s plans have become the national agenda, they are taking an interest in the failure of the nation.
If the agenda fails to produce what it promised, they can claim that the voters were duped. If the agenda does not fail, it is their interest to make it seem as though it has.
If, on the other hand, the losing side accepts defeat, they may win the next debate, and so both parties will have something beneficial to show their voters. If they actively engage in promoting the winning side’s idea, they will still help the country, even if it was not how they wished to support it.
If they lose one debate after the other after the other, perhaps it is time for the party to look at its message and alter itself. A platform that was appropriate one decade may be irrelevant the next. That is natural in a democracy, because it is proof of progress. One issue was resolved, and a new one has taken center stage.
There is nothing wrong with opposing this or that national agenda, but that is very different than hoping it fails. There is not a thin line between opposing an idea and fear-mongering and spreading misinformation about – there is a very clear difference.
The Rally to Restore Sanity is about emphasizing this difference. It is about breaking the deadlock in the national debate, caused by those who wish to see President Barack Obama fail. It is also about distinguishing those who wish to see the president fail from those who constructively disagree with the president.
If you are sick of being lied to by certain members of the media, wish politicians would speak to us without fear-mongering or just think your neighbors have gone a bit too far with their bumper stickers, this is the movement is for you.