Taking Back Ground Zero & Becoming
the Media –
a strategy to empower the populace.
by Michael Kane
posted at DrugWar.com
January 19th, 2004
The name of the game is resilience.
Every Saturday for three weeks now, the New
York Truth Movement has been in front of Ground
Zero with multiple signs and literature to disseminate to
the public. Next week, January 24th, 2004, will mark our fourth
week of many more to come. NY Truth activists are showing support
and coming onto the streets in small, but consistent and growing
numbers. Citizens are telling us what they know about 9-11, including
many who were there when the tragedy struck. At times, verbal
confrontations break out which don’t even involve us, but
rather involve passing citizens who have opposing viewpoints.
I love democracy! It can get messy, but no
one said it was easy.
At this point, the NY Truth Movement is putting
out a call for anyone with a camera of any sort to come down to
Ground Zero and cover our visibility action. The mainstream press
won’t cover us. I had a reporter from a major New York daily
newspaper say to me, “I would cover you guys, but it won’t
make it past my editors desk”.
This was in 2-degree temperatures on January
10th, 2004. Later, this same reporter came back and yelled, “Hey
buddy! You look too cold,” and he threw a pair of brand new
insulated overalls at me that weren’t cheap. We’re getting
all types of support like this, but sadly, so far most ‘alternative’
press outlets in New York haven’t covered us either.
I am a producer for Shadow
Government TV and correspondent for Global
Free Press. We contend that there is a new media rising from
the grass roots, and our motto is “BECOME THE MEDIA.”
We’ve had citizens come directly up to us with their DV cameras
and request interviews. This is fabulous! We want to encourage
this sort of media self-empowerment as far & wide as possible.
There are many ways one can approach this.
You don’t have to come down and interview us; you can be
more covert, so to speak, if that makes you feel more comfortable.
Come down as a ‘tourist’ at Ground Zero and if you happen
to shoot any interesting footage of our efforts you can get in
touch with us here:
ny911truth@yahoo.com
212-714-7147
You can visit our website here:
http://www.httpcity.com/
This may prove very valuable for those of
us who are putting our reputations on the line every week. The
idea of “citizen watch dogs” randomly scattered around
Ground Zero on Saturdays makes the corners of my lips curl up
into a smile. The police will never know what camera footage will
or will not end up in our hands. This may keep the police in line,
all though I will say for the most part they have not been terrible
to us. I suspect many of them have their own doubts about what
really happened on 9-11. Keep in mind there is absolutely nothing
illegal with shooting video on the streets of New York.
No one is going to do this for us; no one
is going to get our rights back and hand them to us on a silver
platter. This is obvious when you look at a Congress that has
completely acquiesced to the Bush Regime and it’s insane
policy of endless war and endless lies. It is everyone’s
responsibility to “BECOME THE MEDIA”. We are the media,
we are the people, and it is our duty to stand up for what we
believe in.
If the only coverage we’re going to
get is from home movies that you shoot of us and show to your
friends and family – that makes it the most important coverage
of all! Once you have this, get in touch with us, get us your
footage, and we will get it out as far as we can. That’s
grass roots; that’s democracy in action. That’s voting
with your time and money.
Below is a press release from the NY Truth
Movement – please feel free to spread it far and wide, and
we hope to see you this Saturday for your own exclusive interview…
____________________________________
NY Truth
1/16/04
Building a Movement of Inquiring Minds from
Ground Zero Up - Group Calls For "Saturday Ground Zero Solidarity
Actions" Around the World
Ground Zero was the most logical place. A
loose group of people united only by unanswered questions about
9/11 needed somewhere to begin reaching out. They were looking
for a highly visible base for a movement to pressure the Bush
Administration to cooperate with the 9/11 investigation--and Ground
Zero, which, in addition to the victims, has been used with maximum
effect by the Administration to force people into accepting its
sometimes extraordinarily unpopular agenda was the obvious choice.
So the group, unofficially calling themselves
"the NY 9/11 Truth Alliance," decided to meet there
every Saturday to call attention to the obvious inconsistencies
in the "Official Story" and demand that 9/11 be properly
investigated.
The first afternoon, standing there with
a large banner that read "The Bush Regime Engineered 9/11,"
and signs reading "Support the Families: Stop 9/11 Cover-Up"
and "Bush Knew" they didn't know how people would respond.
Ground Zero is not only hallowed ground, it elicits a thousand
different knee-jerk reactions across the political spectrum.
"We weren't sure what to expect that
first day," said 9/11 activist Cristian Fleming, "So
we were surprised at the people from all walks of life who came
up to thank us for having the courage to do this and asking how
they might get involved."
The first Saturday afternoon at Ground Zero,
a contingent of the NY 9/11 Truth Alliance handed out more than
a thousand pieces of literature that pointed out several inconsistencies
in the Official Version of how the events of that day happened,
who did it, what the Bush Administration knew beforehand and how
they have benefited...massively.
Truth Alliance member opinions span the various
theories that have developed since 9/11, from those who are convinced
that "Bush, Cheney & Co. knew it was coming and let it
happen" to people who say "They planned and executed
it" to others who are just frustrated the 9/11 Commission
cannot do its job. As a group, they decided to agree on a full
disclosure of the truth and an end to what they see as a cover-up
by the Bush Administration of the facts.
The goal of the Alliance is to create a movement
of inquiring minds who will gather at figurative "Ground
Zeros" around the world, in their own towns and cities every
Saturday afternoon to raise awareness and demand answers in advance
of what is now widely expected to be a "whitewash" 9/11
Commission Report, slated for release in May of this year, 2004.
"We call it 'Ground Zero solidarity
action,'" said Michael Kane. "We are at Ground Zero
from noon to 4 or 5 every Saturday. Rain or shine...snow, whatever.
We will be there."
The Alliance is asking anyone who believes
that the questions about 9/11 are not being answered to get involved
at the local level, to create their own Truth Alliances and get
out into the streets to educate their fellow citizens.
"We intend to become an indelible part
of the landscape at Ground Zero, and we hope that other people
will do the same in their own communities," said Fleming,
"When it becomes apparent that the media and politicians
have abdicated their obligation to vigorously seek the truth in
favor of self interest, It is the duty of the people to demand
truth on the streets. The victim's families deserve the truth,
the American people deserve the truth and the future of this country
rests on the vigilance of its citizens in demanding that truth.
We urge everyone, everywhere. Stand with us every Saturday at
Ground Zero and demand 9/11 truth. We need you."
For more info about Ground Zero Solidarity
Actions and the New York 9/11 Truth Alliance, please email info@ny911truth.org
for more information on the national 9-11
visibility effort, visit
www.911visibility.org.
