One of the great moments in American political image-making - combining visuals (that go from pastoral to stark) with Bill Conrad's amazing voice-over to create a powerful message intended to motivate people to get together and do something about a serious problem.
And we did some pretty great things. Even with a slug like Dick Nixon in the White House.
The actor is Iron Eyes Cody, born Espera Oscar De Conti, in 1904 to parents who immigrated to this country from Italy.
The guy spent most of his adult life taking great pains to maintain the manufactured illusion of his "heritage".
As an aside - the piece also allows the inference that while American Aboriginals may be a bit peeved by European wars of conquest and that little genocide-y thing, what really gets' em is roadside litter and water pollution. White people - whaddaya gonna do?
Anyway, we did some things. We saved the bald eagle. We stopped lead and asbestos. We insisted that companies be held responsible for their actions. And we began to understand that a paycheck isn't worth much if what you're doing to earn that check is hurting - and even killing - everything and everybody you love.
If you live in the mountains because you love to fish, but your favorite stream is being killed by the runoff caused by the logging operations of the lumber company you're working for, what's the fuckin' point?
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