People We Love :: Bill Moyer
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Giving Politicians a Backbone
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You might run into Bill Moyer striding alongside a giant polar bear, or a walking puppet of the U.S. Constitution. Or you might hear him on the radio, conversing with a person who could be “the ideal secretary of defense”—if our government had a “backbone.”
Founder of the Backbone Campaign, Moyer organized a group of artists in 2004 on Vashon Island, Washington, to bring a puppet of a giant spine to the Democratic National Convention. Each vertebra was a platform plank like “no corporate personhood” and “civil unions for all.” The campaign called on political leaders to take a stand on issues Americans care about.
The Backbone Campaign along with other progressive groups have created a “shadow cabinet,” a dream team of leaders with progressive values. Visitors to www.backbonecampaign.org, can rank nominees for secretary of state, for example, which include journalist Bill Moyers (no relation) and activist Medea Benjamin.
| Stephen Silha wrote this article as part of Purple America, the Fall 2008 issue of YES! Magazine. Stephen is a freelance writer, communications consultant, and co-founder of journalismthatmatters.org. |  |
