Never let it be said that grassroots, on the ground political activism cannot make a difference!
Joe Cook, who is now getting tagged with the moniker of "Joe the Vet", created this short and simple video as a means to let Barack Obama know exactly how he feels about the statements the Illinois Senator has been making throughout this election campaign about what our fine young men and woman are doing in Iraq.
FoxNews.com has a great synopsis of the story today [7]:
John McCain's most powerful ad -- an open letter to Barack Obama in which an Iraq War veteran criticizes his stand on the war -- didn't cost the Republican candidate a dime.
In "Dear Mr. Obama," army veteran Joe Cook stands in front of the camera and scolds the Democratic presidential candidate for calling the Iraq war a mistake. The two-minute video, which was posted on YouTube, has gotten more than 11 million hits and is the most popular election video on the site.
In the video, Cook tells Obama why he disagrees with his Iraq war policies and says he's supporting McCain. At the end, he walks away from the camera, revealing that he has a prosthetic leg.
Cook, 23, was wounded in Iraq in June and returned home to Wauconda, Ill., to recover. He said he enlisted three years ago because of his family's dedication to serving their country. His parents were both marines, and he has two brothers in the military.
Almost as inspiring as his enlistment in the military and his service to his country in Iraq is his decision to make certain his powerful voice is heard during this crucial political season; the simple act of telling his personal story and standing up to Barack Obama, refusing to allow his anti-military rhetoric stand!
The article goes on to discuss how the project came about:
Video director Michael Brown, who teamed up with Cook to create the video, said he was inspired to make the video because he wanted to share the experiences of soldiers that aren't reported in the media and to lend support to McCain for his position on the war.
"Obama has been squealing since 2002 that Iraq is a mistake," Brown said. "He's using the military as pawns, he has not brought our troops home and he has not done any good. When he says it's a mistake, he's disrespecting our guys."
"I'm not connected with any campaign," Brown said. "In fact, what's interesting is, before this the only thing I've ever done politically is put a sign in my yard."
Brown said he contacted Cook about making the video after meeting him at a parade the town held in Cook's honor in July. He said he thinks the video's effectiveness comes from its simplicity.
"Joe collaborated on the script to ensure its authenticity and truthfulness, which was important," he said. "That's what works so well."
You never know what kind of results can come about from your decision to get up and to get involved in the political process in America! As seen in this story, you just may surprise yourself with how strong your voice is when the decision is made to actually use it!
Both Cook and Brown are surprised by the popularity of the video.
"Obviously we didn't think it was going to get up to 11 million hits," Cook said. "It's a little crazy, but anything I can do to help. I think it's a good way to express what I felt and I thought it was good. I thought Mike Brown did a phenomenal job."
This story should be a great inspiration and example to us all this political season! We can make a difference!
