[madgeylou]

ralph nader.

he has been so abused and maligned for 2000 (which wasnt his fault, incidentally) that his ENORMOUS contributions to american freedoms have been forgotten.

without him we would not have the EPA, the clean water act, the clean air act, safety standards and seatbelts in cars, and a huge variety of other protections. he has fought the good fight for more than 40 years now, and even risked (and actually lost) his reputation as a great american to bring the complete corporate-centeredness of modern government to light.

see, he never really wanted to be president. he always liked being the policy wonk in the background, the one who would do the research and have the good ideas for how to solve problems, and then present alternatives to politicians for implementation.

but in the 1990s, he couldnt even get time with any congresspeople to present ideas. why? no corporate money behind him. our politicians are so concerned with being re-elected that real good work goes undone.

i love him and everything he stands for. i worked for him in 2000, in florida no less, and i was there in washington the night of the election. when it became clear that he was not going to receive 5% of the vote needed to get federal funding for the green party, he took the stage and gave one of the most heartfelt speeches i've heard in my life, about how our efforts would not be in vain, about how freedom and democracy are worth fighting for, no matter what.

i dont know much about his personal life, but i can say that in his work, he has saved and improved countless lives, and also served as a reminder that cynicism is a far less powerful tool than belief.