I Have Chosen to Stay and Fight (24 page)

Now I want to flee from the new pope, Benedict XVI, whose first real statement as pope spoke out against
Harry Potter
. When there is a war on, a mysterious, terrifying, random, dangerous, apocalyptic situation, getting worse day by day, and, at the center if it, Iraq, from
which all manner of evil seems to originate or is in rapid transit to, why is it suddenly important to take on a popular children's novel, a series of books that have brought excitement back to literacy and made reading cool once again. Reading is fundamental, as the old '70s saying goes. But religion goes off when it is fundamental. The Christian fundamentalists are exactly as closed-minded as the Islamic fundamentalists. If they could just see each other, if they could let their turbans and mullets and veils and Toni home perms down for a second, they would be able to see they have much in common, and much to offer each other. The exit strategy of the war on terrorism is a big potluck picnic, with fundamentalists from both sides participating in blueberry pie–eating contests, three-legged races, pin the tail on the infidel . . . getting down deep into the nature of who we are, and we can see the similarities are astounding, and that when I look at you I am looking in a mirror, a fun-house mirror but a mirror nonetheless.

When we can become really honest with ourselves, and deeply ponder what we want, where we want to go, what we want to do, we are at the perfect beginning, because we are, right at that moment, at the heart of who we are, and any action taken from that place is going to be a glorious one. Much of the writing in this book originated on my blog, and it represents many years of getting deeper into my own heart.

I found that making my thoughts heard online has brought me to an incredible community of other bloggers, who have taken me further into my own quest for truth than anyone could have imagined.
Bloggers have altered the way we view the news. Censorship and propaganda cannot go undetected in the blogosphere. Through the steady devotion of bloggers to tell the truth, to make their stories known, to communicate, to exist, loud and clear, we are blessed with an entirely new way to experience media. The news sources we relied on, the ones we feared would betray us with lies to protect their corporate allies, are no longer needed. We had a revolution in news, and it is all D-I-Y, grassroots, people working from their homes, stealing time on the job, to make sure America gets to stay beautiful and free and all that shit.
Americablog.com
,
Dailykos.com
,
Atrios.blogspot.com
and
Buzzflash.com
are just a few of the bloggers who are making a difference in the way America gets its news. Without freedom of information, we have no freedom. Without access to the truth, we are powerless. With mainstream media more under the control of government agencies, moving the terrorist alerts up and down like the mercury of a thermometer, gauging how liberal or conservative the country happens to be leaning, how can we really know what is happening? Fortunately, different individuals have been able to break through and allow themselves to be heard over the propaganda. The more the mainstream press ignores them, the more powerful they become.

Watching this new America unfold has made me truly welcome the emergence of the underground. I trust the bloggers more than the nightly news because even though everyone has an agenda, theirs are closer to mine. In these times, we must just try to get closer to ourselves,
get back to who we are. Identifying ourselves in the unrelenting storm of false information is one way bloggers can help. Protecting the truth by becoming bloggers ourselves, instead of retreating into lies and twisted political posturing, needs to become our way of life. Choosing to stay and fight for ourselves is the only way we can survive.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

G
reat thanks to Sean McDonald and to Julie Grau, for bravely publishing this book.

Thanks to David Vigliano, rock star literary agent.

Thanks to Ava Stander, my sister and true thug family.

Thanks to Damien Echols and Lorri Davis, for sharing their love with me. Love love love!

Thanks to Keri Smith, my assistant, but more like my friendly neighborhood genius.

Thanks to Bruce Daniels, for that time he made that spaghetti and when he did the only known listless handjob ever captured on film.

Thanks to Lorene Machado, for being such a great director and also for sending me countless pictures of Handsome Hank, my favorite pit bull.

Thanks to Austin Young, for the fabulous cover! Thanks to Patty Hearst, for fashion inspiration.

Thanks to Princess Farhana of Hollywood, for teaching me figure eights with a sit.

Thanks to: Mark at
Buzzflash.com
; Markos at
Dailykos.com
; Duncan at
Atrios.blogspot.com
; John and Joe at
Americablog.com
; Gene at
Americanpoliticsjournal.com
;
Democraticunderground.com
; and all the other bloggers who have my back.

Most of all, thanks to Al Ridenour, my husband, and the best friend I have ever had. You make me so very happy, habibi.