The Passion for truth and Justice – An evening with Amy Goodman

(On April 16, 2009, Amy Goodman gave a speech in Palo Alto, as part of her book tour that was co-sponsored by Peninsula Peace and Justice Center.)

She looked frail and petite. In a flower-printed dress, she had an easy-going smile that softens her penetrating eyes. It is the familiar face you saw on TV or poster, but much softer and approachable. However, when she started to talk on the podium, she became something deeply powerful.

Amy Goodman started with a couple of contemporary topics: healthcare reform and war in Afghanistan. She pointed out how single-payer system was never formally discussed by Obama administration, and tens of thousands of troop were added to Afghanistan war. In her unflinching criticism of the current administration, I saw her familiar independent and truth telling spirit. That’s the hallmark of her radio program Democracy Now!, a program that is fiercely independent and always tells the uncomfortable truth. As Goodman dwelled on these public topics with no promotion of herself, you feel in the presence of greatness. From her radio program, I knew she was sincere and tirelessly promoting truth and justice. Only from her lecture, I started to know how devoted and passionate she was for the cause of justice.

Story after story, Amy Goodman told the heroic acts people made in history and are making today. She mentioned how a mother of a solider who died in Iraq spoke out, how that mother brought photographers and video man to meet her son’s coffin at the airport, shedding light on the death of a war. Goodman mentioned a courageous high school student who delivered a letter to George W. Bush, saying “We do not torture”. Goodman talked about her own experience of covering protest in St Paul for republican convention and was hit and pushed to the ground by the police, arm held back and arrested. That’s all because she stepped onto the frontline and be there to report the controversial actions.

Goodman retold stories of activists in the history, from Fredrick Douglas, the abolitionist to Susan Anthony, the woman rights movement leader. From Rosa Park to Martin Luther King, Jr.. Then all the way to contemporary heroes such as Noam Chomsky. She brought back the memory of Martin Luther King, Jr. by recounting how King gave his mountain top speech the night before he was assassinated. She talked how King spoke out against Vietnam War a year before then and was ridiculed by news media at that time.

She talked about the responsibility of a journalist of speaking the whole truth and bringing all opinions to the table. She talked about how media is a big kitchen table around the globe where people share discussions.

Amy Goodman is gifted with incredible voice. It is musical, powerful and penetrating. You feel like listening to a great drama, or a theatre performance. There is not one moment you feel bored. Every story she recounted was deeply engrossing. The one-hour speech passed quickly with the whole audience listening quietly, broken only by occasional applauses for her speech.

We sat in a large church building, where every seat is filled by people coming to hear Goodman’s talk. As  she preached to this sympathetic audience, most of whom are members of local peace groups, I cannot help wondering if her topics have already become mainstream. Peace, truth and justice are principles everyone can agree on. People feel good about themselves by talking about these topics. However, it will be much harder to preach the topic of gun control, where this country is filled with noisy views and misinformation provided by NRA. When we stand against gun violence, it is much harder than standing for civil rights or women’s rights, where a group of people can identify themselves and come together. The victims of gun violence spread around all groups and there is no easy way to bring them together. This is why bringing sensible gun law to this country is so hard because there is no identifiable group to push the movement.

Amy Goodman says, “Democracy is messy”. Everything we struggle to bring to fruit will be messy. Social change requires constant fight, personal devotion and unwavering faith. As I start the journey of reducing gun violence in this country, I am inspired by Amy Goodman. Each of us can make a difference, if we only give ourselves.