Thomas Augustus wrote this, so, don't give Roi your refuse....
Live Earth happened this weekend. Sat. 7/7/7. The same day as a real fantastic event, The Call Nashville. Live Earth was suppose to have a gynormous concert in DC to be apart of it's global festivities which did not work because Al Gore, a US citizen did not get his application in on time to the US National Park Service which governs the use of the Mall in Washington, DC betwen the Lincoln Memorial and the US Capitol. Rolling Stone Magazine, an endorser of Al Gore's 2000 Campaign for President, made it known to the world even though Al Gore turned it into a political reason for him not getting the coveted DC site.
As a resident of DC, I was personally thankful. Al Gore did try for the US Capitol grounds as an alternative but was blocked which furthered his rhetorical fire sale of rage. Once again, I was thankful. However, on July 6 I received an email blast from a colleague that came from MoveOn.org the 3.2 million member PAC (political action committee). You can read the e-blast below my thoughts. The Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) located on 4th and Independence SW (4 blocks from the US Capitol) had approved Al Gore to launch his Live Earth world event from their steps.
So upon reading the non-political invitation, i decided to go check it out and see if anyone would make it the next day at 10AM. I had to work Saturday, so I decided to detour over there to see the large crowd I presumed would have gathered on the grounds of the NMAI. The NMAI is a beautiful building and quite large. Covers a couple of blocks. I came in on the backside thinking the Live Earth kick-off was nearer to the Mall side. I could not locate it as I navigated between many a visitors on the Mall that summer Saturday. People going to the museums, visiting the sites. I drove half way around the 2 block building and saw nothing spectacular but the significant prescence of a satellite uplink truck. I figured the large audience would be near it. I rolled down the window to listen for anything live. I heard noise. A voice shouting from the shrubs to my right as I drove down Jefferson St alongside the building toward 4th St. At the traffic signal at 4th, I faced the Capitol and listened to the voice from the shrubs to my right. It was Al Gore bellowing his rhetoric and an audience not visible but heard through the greenery. I turned right, cuz the street was wide open. The entrance to the NMAI is surrounded 75% by shrubs, flowers and small trees. At the light, I was opposite of the opening to the steps. There were curious visitors stopping by to see a view of a politician and then moving on from a crowd about somewhere between 800-1000 people on the steps of the NMAI who were now watching Trisha Yearwood (I think). But, it was Al Gore talking from the shrubs that got my attention. Almost biblical but not quite as relevant. A false prophet perhaps. Then, he was whisked away in a 9 car motorcade to his private jet to go to NY touching down for the alternative USA site of Giants Stadium to listen to Bobby Kennedy tell him to stop flying in corporate jets.
Meanwhile, the event that got there first mentioned in the Rolling Stone article had no people in attendance but their organizers running around in red shirts proclaiming God. I was thankful again.
Subject: FW: Gore and Live Earth in D.C. tomorrow!
Dear MoveOn member,
We just got some great news: Live Earth is coming to D.C., tomorrow, for free.
On Saturday over 2 billion people will rally around the world to save our climate. There will be concerts in Rio de Janeiro, Shanghai, Sydney, London, and Tokyo. But until today, Live Earth was blocked from Washington, D.C. by politicians allied with right-wing industry groups.
No longer: thanks to the National Museum of the American Indian, former Vice President Al Gore, Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood, and many more artists and performers will be gathering at 10:00 a.m. tomorrow to kick off Live Earth in the U.S. And there's no better way to fight back against the global warming deniers than to show up with your friends, family, colleagues and cousins in tow. So please come, and send this message on to others in your network
—we've only got 24 hours to make this concert huge.–
Ilyse, Eli, Marika, Natalie, and the MoveOn.org Political Action Team
Friday, July 6th, 2007
Here's the note from former Vice President Gore:
Dear MoveOn members,
I've got some exciting news: With the help of our friends at the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian, "Mother Earth," a Live Earth-affiliated event, is coming to Washington D.C. tomorrow.
If we want to show our elected leaders that Americans want real action to solve the climate crisis
—nothing will make that more clear than thousands of people joining me at the concert tomorrow morning.
I'll be there at 10:30 a.m. and then some special friends of mine, Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood, will each perform a song and the classic blues band Blues Nation will take the stage. The day will also feature Native American rock, funk, punk, reggae, gospel and Andean music in addition to films.
Be sure to arrive early
—you won't want to miss the opening acts.
Event Details: A FREE 7/7/07 concert near the Capitol
When: Tomorrow, Saturday, at 10:00 a.m.
Where: Outdoors on the National Museum of the American Indian's Welcome Plaza at 4th Street and Independence Avenue SW, facing the U.S. Capitol. On Google Maps:
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=2743&id=10762-4832783-U0PyEZ&t=1
Below is a note from Al Gore with all the details. Hope you can make it! It's going to be a historic day.
Sincerely,
7/7/07 is going to be an amazing day linking together 7 continents, over 100 artists and 2 billion people to "answer the call" to combat the climate crisis.
I'm looking forward to seeing you there.
Sincerely,
Al Gore
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