Yesterday I got an email that made me realize: There are times when you have to shout out what side of an event or issue you are on.Mike Daisey is a Seattle success story. His monologues have made him famous and have taken him around the world. He's talented, and anyone who knows him will tell you: he is a very nice guy.
Even to the 87 mopey martyrs who slouched out of his performance on April 20th, Daisey was nice. And his professionalism saved the night for the people who truly wanted to see the show.
Criticism is fine. Walking out is okay, if you feel you must make that statement. But the cold silence of these zombies made me think about how much fundamentalist behavior resembles fascism. Long story short: I started life in the Baptist church in the South (with a capital S).
I quit the church at the age of nine, because the whole thing was starting to smell funny. Know what? The Baptists came to see us. Four of them, wearing suits, pulled up to our house in a big car. They went in and had a talk with my mother. Then they came back out, piled into their big car, and burned rubber.
My mother told them that if they expected to hold the attention of a nine-year-old they better be more entertaining, and they better tell the truth.
My mother, the Colbert of Decatur.
Go to Mike Daisey's Web site and watch the video. Then write to him. I'm sure he'd like to hear the views of people who actually know how to use words.
NOTE: This story has an update on Daisey's blog. Read how he tracked down the man who poured water all over his notes, and discussed his actions and beliefs.
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