Stars, big and small, in the pre-dawn hours

It's truly dark out there. But it's a good time to be proud of America. How can I say that?

Joseph Wilson, who spoke out, paid an unfair price, and still speaks.
Bill Moyers, who holds fast to progressive thought, even on TV.
The 9-11 widows who won't give up.
The 9-11 'truth movement' & 1000s of citizens working to understand.
Sibel Edmonds, FBI translator/whistleblower.
Seymour Hersh.
Amy Goodman & Democracy Now! team.
Dennis Bernstein & Flashpoints team.
Countless nameless but extraordinary people who work to wake the comatose through one-on-one discourse.
Ordinary people showing courage by waking up and admitting they were wrong.
Letter-to-the-editor writers (the good ones) who do their part.
Paul ONeill, an American who chose country over safe loyalty.
Richard Clarke, ditto.
Tens of thousands of people working in, or funding, independent and alternative media because it's the only way to get at the root issues.
People who organize and hold and attend small protests and peace vigils all across the country.
Bev Harris & all others working on voting integrity issues.
Artists and musicians making protest art and protest music.
Medea Benjamin (Code Pink, Voices in the Wilderness)
Noam Chomsky & Howard Zinn, lifetime achievement for independent thought.

The faceless, nameless people at the CIA, who would not let this shit stand.

The Progressive Internet, which really does drive the news now, albeit in ways far to subtle to effectively measure. It is the only real bulwark agains corporate media control and repuke propoganda. The largest fact-checking organization on earth, with real-time capabilities.

They just keep digging to find the truth. Kudos to them both for being courageous enough to publicize it.