Al Gore On MTV-An Environmental Man In Black

[RestoreGore]

It's time to see beyond the superfluous media reporting on these events. Al Gore on MTV was a moment that hopefully will help shape the future of our planet. Here's why.



Last Thursday night I decided to allow my teen son to watch the MTV Video Music Awards. I admit I'm not too keen regarding all of the current music out there, but I also remember what it was like when I was his age following my own beat, so I wanted to watch it with him to take part in something he liked. I didn't see the beginning where they announced the guests, so when I had watched as much as I could and was going to leave he said, "don't leave mom, there's a surprise coming."

Then I see Al Gore all dressed in black come out on stage to give a message to the younger generation of our country and I said, "I love this man." I love him because it was an important message that this world's environment is in crisis, but from that danger my son's generation can most assuredly come together to take the opportunity from it to face it and solve it. It was a message of warning, but a message of hope. It was a message given out of concern for our planet and our children, and it is a message the younger generation needs to hear in order to spur them into action.

However, the media reports I have read about this appearance have been the same usual ignorant trashing of the man instead of addressing the important issue that will determine the world our children live in. From calling him, "pleasingly plump," to saying we don't need a "lecture" from the Vice President, people who reported on this clearly showed their ignorance on this issue and their bias. They also showed how totally in denial they are about what we are reaping from our actions, and they do a disservice to the youth of our nation by using their bias and ignorance to detract from an inconvenient truth.

And if you saw Mr. Gore's appearance, there was no mention of his movie An Inconvenient Truth or the companion book. He did not use the time to plug his TV station or his investment firm. And he most certainly was not "campaigning," except for our planet. It was a public service message delivered to the youth of America by a man who has a sincere dedication to this issue. And hopefully, MTV will also continue to address this issue sincerely as they too have a responsibility to the youth that keep their ratings up.

This message then was not about Al Gore, it was about us. So please, youth of America, heed the warning and see the hope. And to the parents, this message was for you as well for we as parents have a moral responsibility to leave this world a better place for our children than how it was given to us. Write LTE, write to your school boards, local papers, put up flyers, word of mouth, etc. In essence this is a campaign, but a moral campaign with all of us as participants to wake people up to what we are doing to our only home and that it is time to stop, take stock in our responsibility for it, and find our true moral compass to be accountable for it and work to solve it. Personally, I can't think of a more important campaign.

And for Al Gore to brave the slings and arrows he has by getting this message out and standing up to the powerful factions seeking to keep this truth hidden, we all owe a great debt of gratitude to him and all who work for solutions to bring all of us a more sustainable future. As a matter of fact, he now reminds me of another great Tennesseean I looked up to from the time I was a teen who also was the original "man in black," Johnny Cash. His words, conviction, and heart inspired me, informed me, and shaped my activism today, and that was more than any President ever did for me. So thank you Mr. Gore, the environmental man in black. Thank you for caring for our world, our future, and our children. For a prosperous, clean, peaceful world is the greatest gift we could ever leave them.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

1. For all the crappy programming they produce...

MTV actually does have a social conscience. They have been doing Rock the Vote for years and they are very supportive of gay rights. They followed Soulforce's Equality Ride campaign against colleges with a ban on gays and they're currently producing a documentary on Soulforce's Right to Serve campaign against "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." So while I think most of their tv shows suck (I miss the Real World when it was actually edgy and new, Daria, etc), they actually do spread a positive message to youth.

[LibDemAlways]

2. My daughter had a VMA viewing party with 3 of her

friends. Al Gore came out quite late in the evening, and the girls by then were anxious to see who would win the "video of the year" which had not yet been announced. However, they listened respectfully to Gore's message and one commented to me, "He's so much smarter than Bush. He should have been President." I told her I agreed, and the moment passed.

You are absolutely right. Gore seized a unique opportunity to speak to young people about a critically important issue. He was welcomed with robust applause in the hall and his message was heard by the kids at home.

Shame on anyone who criticized this appearance, and thanks to MTV (and I don't thank them often - believe me) for providing the forum to get this important message out. And thanks for your thoughtful post. Gore is, indeed, a national treasure.

[RestoreGore]

3. Yes, a national treasure

And like you, I'm not too fond of all of MTV's programming, but I am sure glad I didn't miss this.