George Graham

Where is Dennis Kucinich When We Need Him?

It is the morning after September 11, that day of infamy, which was, sadly, marked by the tasteless rowdiness that passes for patriotism these days and the cantankerous caviling that disgraces current American politics. Fortunately, no lives were lost in protests against plans for a “mosque” near Ground Zero, and no Qurans were burned by an addled preacher in the Florida boondocks.

Life, such as it is, goes on.

And as I scrolled through my email, I came across an item in “Reader Supported News” that got me thinking.

Described by the RSN editors as “hauntingly prophetic, and unheeded,” it was the statement released by Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich back in 2001, right after the Nine-Eleven horror:

America grieves this day for the victims of these terrorist attacks, and for their families and friends. Our prayers are with them and our hearts go out to those who have endured unbearable loss today. Our most hopeful thoughts are with those who have risked their lives in heroic rescue efforts. In this grim moment, we must be resolute in protecting the fabric of our democracy and the individual freedoms that make America a great nation. As we grieve, we cannot let terrorists win by turning the United States into a national security state. We cannot let their dialogue become our dialogue.

America must remain calm because such calm is essential to preserving our liberties. America must bring to justice those responsible for these cowardly deeds. We must be cautious about rolling back freedoms at home or placing blame in the wrong place.

America must continue to be a beacon of democracy for the world. Let this sad moment cause all governments and all people of good will around the world to unite and to move together to challenge and uproot those who have destructive goals which seek to create death and drive the world toward chaos. Now, more than ever, America must continue to be a force for peace in the world. We must not let the terrorists win.

I read the Kucinich statement a couple of times, and I thought, how right he was, how right he always is.

And I wondered whatever happened to Dennis Kucinich (pictured above with wife Elizabeth)? I haven’t heard from him in a while. As a former presidential candidate, I would expect to see more of him on TV, hear from him on the issues of the day, instead of the endless “news bites” from the Sarah Palins and Sharron Angles of the world and the threadbare  “talking points” of those Republican and Democratic “strategists.”

But the media never have taken Kucinich seriously. I wonder why?

Is he too short?

Too “working class”?

Or just too “progressive”?

It makes me wonder who decides who or what is newsworthy – and why.

About the author

gwgraeme

I am a Jamaican-born writer who has lived and worked in Canada and the United States. I live in Lakeland, Florida with my wife, Sandra, our three cats and two dogs. I like to play golf and enjoy our garden, even though it's a lot of work. Since retiring from newspaper reporting I've written a few books. I also write a monthly column for Jamaicans.com