Saturday, June 24, 2006

"An Inconvenient Truth" for Oklahoma

Last night I watched Al Gore’s new movie, “An Inconvenient Truth.” There were only six vacant seats in the whole theatre! Thanks to our ODP staff Courtney, Lindsey, and Jason who organized a group of Yellow Dog Democrats to see the movie together. Now for my review:

Part personal journey, part slide show, it is a remarkable achievement. Riveting. Powerful. Important. Believe it or not, Al Gore is terrific. He is no longer “that” Al Gore. Listening to “that” Al Gore for two minutes was painful. Listening to “this” Al Gore for two hours is refreshing and inspiring. This Al Gore is clearly a liberated man, a man who has found his balance and his passion. A man who uses his head and speaks from his heart. Forget what you may have thought about Al Gore, “An Inconvenient Truth” is a movie everyone needs to see. And that includes Oklahoma’s senior Senator, James Inhofe.

After all Senator Inhofe, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, is in the movie. Mixed amid Gore’s forceful presentation that explains the toll global warming is taking on our planet, there’s Jim on the big screen, spewing his usual mindless global warming claptrap. Our Jim, who famously said, “Global warming is the greatest hoax ever perpetuated on the American people.”

It should be no surprise that “An Inconvenient Truth” proves Inhofe spectacularly wrong about global warming and further solidifies his position as one of the leading nuts in the United States Congress. Gore’s measured and convincing argument is so powerful that Inhofe is exposed for the fraud that he is within just a few seconds.

Which brings me to my point. Jim Inhofe needs to be called out for his consistently indefensible statements, starting with global warming. Jim Inhofe needs to watch this movie. Not that it will change him. Not that he will finally find wisdom, or make us proud. No, Jim Inhofe needs to watch this movie so he can see how he and others like him are destroying our planet. So he can see how damaging ignorance and power, in combination, can be. So he can see how tragically misguided he has been as a lawmaker.

Inhofe won’t do it on his own, so let’s send him some encouragement. Let’s bombard him with demands to see “An Inconvenient Truth” and challenge him to conduct a thorough, non-partisan Congressional hearing on global warming. And, if he doesn’t, let’s demand that he provide us a written response, an open letter to the children of Oklahoma, including his own grandchildren, explaining why he thinks he shouldn’t. Write your demand letter and send it to:

The Honorable James M. Inhofe
United States Senate
453 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510-3603

Or contact him via:
FAX: 202.228.0380
E-Mail (through his Senate website): http://inhofe.senate.gov
Phone: 202.224.4721

The inconvenient truth is that global warming is real and endangers our Earth. Now, let’s make life in Jim Inhofe’s world uncomfortable. It’s only fair that we shame him – Jim Inhofe has been embarrassing the people of Oklahoma for years.

1 comment:

Linda Wade said...

You owe it yourself and your children to see this film. I was stunned. So much of what I have been observing in my own backyard now makes sense. Why we go for weeks without rain and then get almost 2 inches of rain in an hour. Why within 3 days, my flowerbeds that were "soaked" start cracking. Why for the past 4 years, keeping the tomato plants alive has been a challenge.

The explanations were refreshing, the science understandable, the facts and reasons clear as were the solutions offered. I suddenly feel as though there IS something we can do to stop a "very real threat".

and Lisa's right...if THIS Al Gore had run for President in 2000...we would all have been living in a better America today!