He's the Olber-Mann!

Four days after 9/11, Keith Olbermann’s address is still ringing in my ears. I was so blown away by the courage and conviction he put forth. His speech clearly represents an American voice that has finally been heard. I’m reminded of the Vietnam era, when criticizers of the war were told to “Love it or leave it.” And that’s precisely the kind of attitude that he's facing in this climate of war.

Before I utter my humble opinion, here are my disclaimers: I’m a moderate. Much of my knowledge of the Vietnam era is through the many movies made in the 70’s and 80’s, like many others in my generation (I’m 31) – although, I took a Vietnam history class in college. I’m not one to worship any human being, despite how much I agree with their ideas. I haven’t lost anyone close to me in 9/11 or the ongoing wars, although a close cousin was seconds away from riding the burning elevators in Tower One.

That said, I love Keith Olbermann now. Not like a lover, but like a fighter. A fighter for integrity in our presidency, demanding that Bush live up to his promises. I’m happy I read about Olbermann on a large-scale website like Yahoo! comparing him to Edward R. Murrow and his attack on Joseph McCarthy during his Communist witch hunt. I’m happy Olbermann is getting so much press. Of course, that’s to be expected when a liberal media sees one of their own attacking the Republican president. Hell, fine with me. I’m happy I saw him on the Today show yesterday morning, one of the biggest television platforms in the country, maybe the world, advertising to all to take a look at what he said on MSNBC.com.

Everyone should hear it. I feel hope in my heart, a warm and throbbing sensation, when I think about what he said. It feels like a turning point for me on a massive scale when it comes to criticizing the Bush administration and W in particular. All the politicizing and Machiavellian fear-mongering needs to be placed in check, and that’s why we have a free press as our fourth branch of government.

I want to rally around Olbermann, not the man, but the ideas. And maybe I don’t agree with everything he has said, although I probably do, but that’s not the point. There are ongoing wrong deeds that have been done, and so few out there have articulated as eloquently as Olbermann, how these wars came about and why there is still an emptiness in our hearts, as well as in lower Manhattan’s earth.

I’m scared every other day riding the subway into Manhattan (Mom, don’t read this), especially from where my wife and I live in Brooklyn. One of the more recently-publicized homegrown terrorists frequented an Islamic Center in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, a bomb’s throw away from our apartment. The fear disappears quickly when I think about the Russian mafia keeping our streets safe, but the state of our times is a reality worth remembering in the morning. We now carry flashlights in our bags in case an emergency happens while in one of the tunnels. It’s not like I carry a bomb-sniffing dog in there, a counter-terrorist Chihuahua in a Louis Vuitton canine-purse, but preparation for darkness is a safe touch. The fear leaves like a daily tally of things to do on my list – pay power bill, do laundry, worry about suicide bomber, recharge iPod – and we head to work like any other day, trying to make ends meet, and coming home still sane.

Although the effect of the War on Terror on my daily life is small, I would still like to feel a growing sense of hope, a tangible sense of progress towards a goal instead of this lost powerlessness when I think about our world and the hole in the ground. That’s why I love what Olbermann said. Stick it to the Man is as patriotic as flag-waiving and apple pie, so what’s wrong with a little direct confrontation of a president who has manipulated so many truths, mollifying us into compliance. It’s healthy, it’s natural, and it’s American.

Maybe I’m getting too political for someone trying to start an acting career. It’s better to save some mystery, and let audiences make up their minds for themselves. But I’m not famous yet, and I am an audience member not jumping a couch. One day someone will read this blog besides my wife and parents (I wonder who that will be) and my views may come to haunt me, but hey, opinions are like arses, and I have a plump and juicy one.

For now, I encourage more heartfelt annunciations of their own truths, and I look forward to the ripple effect of Keith Olbermann’s editorial. Let a unified understanding sweep over our country, and an empathetic ear listen to what is right. Rock on man-sticker!