Amy Goodman

Amy Goodman will be speaking in San Antonio (at Trinity University) on October 7th, 7:30.

"Who's Amy Goodman?" I asked Bonnie when she told a group of us last week. "Who's Amy Goodman?" we all asked.

A little over a week ago, the topic at salon was politics--and we talked about our different political opinions.  We were asked if, during an election year, we put bumper stickers on our cars and yard signs in our yard. I squirmed a bit.

Janet, our leader, recommended a book I'm going to read: Healing the Heart of Democracy, by Parker Palmer.

Underlying the discussion at salon, and another discussion at a recent writing group, was the question: where do we get objective truth?  It seems--someone said--that you can either hear heated liberal talk or heated conservative talk; there is no real dialogue.

Frankly, I've come down with a case of Campaign Fatigue these past three or four years.  As soon as we get out there and elect someone, the campaign for the next election begins--and so it goes, a perpetual game of Pick The Next One. No single person can accomplish all he or she promises.  The hopes that electrify conventions slowly fade.  Lately, I've gotten more than five emails a day from my party asking for money for the upcoming election.

And so--I set out to meet this Amy Goodman, online. I've listened to one absorbing speech and followed her tracks to Democracynow.org. I'll start reading her columns and watching videos, but I can tell already that this is a voice that will be my go-to voice on all things political.

I'm in awe of anyone who can speak for an hour without an "um" or a pause--and this she can do because she is so impassioned and knowledgeable about the role of media in a democracy.  I can almost feel my feathers start to flutter a bit again.