Dear Bill Moyers,

From his blog at BM's Journal:




Dear Bill Moyers
From the comments, I see there is so much about the emptiness we're all feeling at you're living, but very little response to your questions.

As for me, when I turned off my TV on Friday, again, I wanted to cry.
A friend of mine died recently. We often called each other on the phone after your program. In a way, I feel I'm glad she won't have to miss you. But I will miss both of you, and I feel I'm going through a double grieving process that feed on each other.

As a non-religious Jew, as others go their family dinners, my "Shabbat" was religiously watching you; it had to be something really important for me to miss it, and then, I would still tape it.

I can't believe you really can leave us like this. You have too much to give and too much to do to retire. You know how important you are to all of us, and how much we need you to:

DO SOMETHING TO "MAKE THAT CHANGE" you ask us to think about, and act upon, that change you inspire us with your words and your guests.

Like many, I have felt powerless, frustrated and angry at how little I can do & how meaningless it also seems. YET, so many people think like me! We are all disillusioned at the place the Obama administration and the Democratic Party have left us. We don't want to fight them, and thus, support the right. We are their pawns. They have ignored us: the left, their "base", they have just taken us for granted, knowing we don't pose a danger to them. But ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! I don't think we can take it any longer. We cannot accept the economic and social situation created by our political system: the tremendous and growing inequality; the inhumanity and immorality of the people in power; they coalesce against us: WE THE PEOPLE, the workers, the poor.

I believe it's time to create another populist movement nationwide; it's time to create a political party that fights for what we believe in; it's time to be proud to be on the left; it's time for the left to unite, to stop bickering, to fight together for the "Common Good" , it's time to form a new PROGRESSIVE PARTY!

If you really get down to it: there is a tremendous force for change, but it's dispersed and diluted.

I have been an independent voter for a number of years. I cringe when I hear the media saying that independent voters are centrists, and that is the people the candidates need to win.

I was happy when the "Coffee Partiers" formed; at the meetings I went to, most people (like more than 90% are disillusioned with Obama and the Democratic Party, and want to see a Government from, by and for the people, and not the corporations. Their materials and ideas are very good, they're very well organized, and are willing to be active, and I'm glad they agreed to start working for Campaign Finance Reform; but … they also want to represent the Center, want to compromise.

There is so much anger that needs to be tapped on by the left (vs the Tea Partiers), but I'm afraid we might let it get dispersed or taken over by very clever people.

If you really get to it: the other parties like the Green and the Peace & Freedom, basically want the same thing. There is so much common ground! there are so many organizations that you have presented in your program like Public Citizen, Common Cause, League of Women Voters; so many studies and information by groups that you have presented to us that can give us the basis we need to start.

There are many professionals that you have introduced to us and others like Robert Reich, and George Lakoff from whom we need to learn how to frame the debate; and there are leaders who have not had the opportunity to be in a position to change things.

You are one of the most important ones, and you HAVE DONE SO MUCH to achieve what we want; Michael Moore is another, though not as profound, much more accessible and popular to the general public. There are people outside the Democratic Party like Ralph Nader that maybe could be more successful with a stronger support; or people that never made it in the DM like Jesse Jackson; or people that are in the party and in Congress, but totally ignore, like Dennis Kucinich and the rest of the members of the Progressive Caucus.

Would these last be willing to leave the Democratic Party that plays and uses them? Would all of them be willing to put their egos aside, and let the person who best can represent us win? Could there be more Bernie Sanders in power? Would he join a Progressive Party? - I think so, it makes so much sense!

All together, we could write a platform and fight for all the issues we believe in, and we can do it simultaneously; start working on the issues, forming committees, and let them guide us, with the help of the "experts" to write the platform.

It's time to stop being scared (of what? We have nothing more to lose, but a lot to gain!)
It's time to stop compromising, and stand and be counted, to learn and teach, to hear and be heard.

The change we need is DRASTIC, RADICAL, and if we don't get it, will we need a Revolution?

If we don't do it NOW, fascism is overtaking us. The right is going to the far right and gaining so much strength!!!! We all know what I'm saying and are scared to death! The "liberals" have moved to the center right and are being bought and/or are compromising. And the left? Where is it? Hiding somewhere.

If we don't unite and act now to take back our government, it can only get worse.

IF NOT NOW, WHEN? IF NOT US, WHOM? IF NOT HERE, WHERE?

Bill Moyers, what do you think of this idea? Would you be willing to lead us --with all the people you know-- in that direction?

Posted by: Eugenia Kuttler | May 3, 2010 4:07 AM


http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/blog/2010/04/make_that_change.html#comments