Two days before Election Day, FAU had the privilege of having America’s favorite/least favorite patriot speak on campus. Michael Moore made a stop on his tour to our very own Free Speech lawn behind the University Center. In the pouring rain, students and supporters stood and waited to hear what Moore was going to say. The crowd was not as big as you would expect for this political celebrity. FAU expected the free speech lawn to be packed, when in fact there was barely 1,000. Perhaps it was due to the inclimate weather, or perhaps it was due to another factor: minimal publicity. Personally, I only heard about the even on Thursday, and the only way I heard about it was because someone had written it on the blackboard in one of my classes. No flyers were posted around campus, nothing like That at all. Compared to the Kerry rally on campus the weekend before, you’d think Michael Moore was a nobody. But that didn’t stop him from doing what he came here to do and saying what he came to say. He humbly took the stage, donning a winter coat and his patented baseball cap. He soon realized he wasin Florida, and took it off. He spoke as bluntly and eloquently as he does on TV and in his movies. And of course, he spoke about what he came to speak about the upcoming election. Obviously, he said things along the lines of: Bush has got to go, Kerry’s our man, the usual. But he did so in a way that only Michael Moore could do: with reason, tact and a brutal honesty that he alone shares with his fans and followers. He talked about how Bush used to call Kerry the “Number one Liberal in the Senate”. He then went on to mention the reason why Bush stopped referring to Kerry as the #1 Liberal. Because his people told him that the majority of Americans are in fact Liberals, and that calling him that would be bad for the Republicans.
He mentioned that is a GOOD thing. He said “We didn’t get the number 29 Liberal or the number 20 Liberal. We got the number one liberal”. He had a great point, we shouldn’t settle for anything less than the number one Liberal in the senate.
He spoke about the first time he met John Kerry back when he was a teenager. He said that Kerry was in his 20’s at the time and was speaking out against the Vietnam war. He said, as a teenager, he saw Kerry as “A man of courage and conscience.” He went on to say that he was “Someone who knows how horrific war is, and will only use it as a last resort.” So true, you see that’s what Michael Moore’s words so powerful. He mobilizes people with facts, anecdotes and with reason, not just rhetoric.
He spoke about his efforts during the election to have video cameras filming anyone involved in any wrong doing at the polls. Over 100 volunteers (Not to mention the ones he doesn’t even know about)who are filming all throughout election day. This time, he’s got Florida’s back. To find out more about his efforts go to his website at www.MichaelMoore.com.
He also spilled the beans on the topic of his new film project. It’s about health care and HMO’s. Pharmaceutical companies have gotten wind of his current project, and have warned their employees of him possibly showing up. They’ve prepared instructional videos and pamphlets for their employees describing how to prepare and react to a sighting. Pfizer, the infamous drug company, has even set up a Michael Moore hotline for people to call when he pops up. He gave the us the number just in case we wanted to harass them ourselves. That number is:(212) 573-1226.
His presence alone was awe inspiring, but his words resonated throughout the entire crowd. In my opinion, Michael Moore is a true American hero. Not a traitor, as some would call him, but an ultimate patriot.
