An Inconvenient Truth-Thinking Beyond The Presidency

[RestoreGore]

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Al Gore at the South Pole.

I have seen An Inconvenient Truth twice and also read the book, and in all instances I got the same impression: Al Gore is a man who is going beyond the Presidency of the United States of America in this quest for truth, accountability, and sustainability.

Now, we know that the President of this country can exert great influence upon policy, but in this country where Representative Democracy is supposed to be the guiding factor behind that influence, his power and influence is only as great as Congress and the people will allow... again, that being in this country based upon how the Constitution was written, not as it is currently being run aground by the current regime which has no respect for such checks and balances and is being allowed to get away with their abuses unchecked by the people as a whole.

So let's look at that. In order for the climate crisis to make any headway in our political system as an issue of grave importance, our leaders must first be made to realize this and act accordingly in the best interests of our people and our planet. This can be done through pressure being exerted by the people most assuredly. However, how is that pressure to be exerted successfully when the people as a whole don't even have knowledge or will? And how are they to vote for leaders who will be willing to face this crisis head on in conjunction with all the other issues that intertwine with this if our political system is already bought and paid for?

I read many articles and blog entries regarding 2008, and it truly baffles me how so many people in this country are still either in the dark as to the forces that truly run our government, or they are clearly in denial. And on this issue we cannot be in denial or in the dark or continue to perpetuate the lie that this government is above board, because it isn't. That fact must be considered in how we begin to face this problem. We must shine the light of truth throughout this country first to empower people. Hence, http://www.climatecrisis.net/ An Inconvenient Truth.

An Inconvenient Truth is not only a movie made to inform people of the truth facing them regarding their own contribution to the environmental crisis we now find ourselves in, but to also inform people as to the current Constitutional and Democratic crisis we find ourselves in now. To speak out about the climate crisis and to begin to educate and inform the people on this "planetary emergency" must be our first step. And of course, there are no illusions that this first step will be hard, long, arduous, and frustrating. There is no quick fix to this problem, not even Al Gore running in this bought and sold system now and he knows that. He knows it goes beyond that.

This must be a methodical step by step plan that starts with spreading this truth throughout America and other areas of this world. Then, hoping that those people who need to see this and those who are the choir being preached to carry the momentum of the urgency this film relates to others in such a way that it trickles up to those leaders who begin to see this urgency as well. That won't happen overnight, and it won't happen unless all of us who deeply care for where this world is heading join in that first step. But more frankly, it won't happen here with leaders who have no conscience, who have been already bought, and who are into soundbites and political rhetoric to the point where political standing means more than political courage. That is the point we are currently at in our own system. So it would appear we are at an impasse politically on a Federal level, which then means that it is incumbant upon the people to make the changes Federal legislation otherwise would have mandated.

That is why citizen activism regarding this climate crisis is so important now. The power to make positive change on this issue is now in the hands of the people. It has been made clear that those who are supposed to represent us in Congress do anything but that, and it is then our duty as citizens to look beyond Congress and into our own lives. Our Declaration of Independence gives us that power. It is now time for local governments, businesses, and citizens to begin taking the necessary steps to use that power to mitigate the effects of climate change by changing their lifestyles, becoming conscious of their choices, becoming vocal about restoring Democracy to this process, and looking to the future instead of always looking for the quick fix or the satisfaction in the here and now.

It cannot be stressed enough how dire this situation can get if we choose to either ignore it, drag our feet, or expect that one quick fix such as a campaign where we put someone up to run for President in this system in only a year's time when we have done nothing to fix it will solve this crisis. This will be hard work, and it will require all of us being a part of it which is how it should be in a Democratic society. That I believe is what Al Gore is looking to, and right now that goes beyond the Presidency of this country. It goes to the very core of who we are as human beings, Americans, students, parents, teachers, businessmen, farmers, lovers, thinkers, and world citizens.

For that vision Al Gore is to be applauded and moreso, for the hope we can share in working together to solve this crisis as a species. This is our time and this is the moment to show what we are made of in a crisis. Al Gore is out here with others providing the bread crumbs to lead us to the facts that WE must then take in hand and use to make the changes that will have a profound effect on our entire world for decades to come. No President of any country alone can assure that change on such a wide scale. It must come from the people collectively, because it is a moral issue. We are on the cusp of a seachange in how policy is made if we only take the opportunity being afforded us as an integral part of the solution, and I say, it is about time.

[durrrty libby]

1. The world needs Al Gore, but in 08, we need him more n/t

[RestoreGore]

2. Need him for what?

The Party didn't need him in 2004. The entire Democratic Party apparatus rallied around pro-Iraq War Kerry while allowing Al Gore to be ostracized. Now you need him? Sorry, but that ten year window closing on our ability to sustain our planet is WAY more important than any political powerplaying. Al Gore sees this and is a great man to see it, and so do many of us who are tired of being jerked around on this issue by BOTH parties. He cannot do both full time, and has in my mind chosen the one road that is more important in the LONG term. People who care for this planet way beyond even 2008 and not just see this as a means to use it as a partisan political mantle see where he is coming from. Americans need to hold their leaders accountable on ALL levels NOW, and that must also be done on a global scale. ONLY then will we have progress on this issue on any sort of political front. However, before that progress can ever be seen, it is the people who must first be inspired, enlightened, and informed. That is exactly what his movie and book talk about, and what he is now doing out here. You say you need Al Gore in 2008? What about now? What about our planet now? Without a sustainable future we have nothing else. And sorry to burst your bubble, but we don't have until 2008 to get this started.