Friday, July 13, 2007
Opinion
07/15/07 LEFT/RIGHT: Praise For Those Who Saved Us!
Praise For Those Who Saved Us!
by Silas Von Haessler
It is bittersweet for me to write this.
On one hand, it is a privilege for me, in the year 2107, to sing the
praises of those who sang for u...
Actor Kevin Bacon performs onstage during Live Earth New York at Giants Stadium on July 7 in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
CREDIT: Evan Agostini/Getty Images |
Praise For Those Who Saved Us!
by Silas Von Haessler
It is bittersweet for me to write this. On one hand, it is a privilege for me, in the year 2107, to sing the praises of those who sang for us so long ago. On the other, I am forced to confront the fact that my own great-great-grandfather Eric Von Haessler was one of those wretched writers who foolishly denied the impending holocaust of global warming in article after article for this very publication a hundred years ago.
While Al Gore, the man whose image now adorns the public squares of every major city, tried to warn the world of the coming Armageddon, my namesake and a few other misguided souls did their best to convince humanity that it was all a big lie. Thank goodness Grandpa and his kind were shouted down by the responsible actors and artists who seized the opportunity to save the planet for generations to come.
Though the narrow-minded thought it was silly for musicians
to put on a day-long rock concert in an effort to change the weather, the musicians persevered and Live Earth happened on July 7, 2007—7/7/07. It is now a matter of history that they did save the Earth for us and it’s important that we, the beneficiaries of their labor, take time
to honor their vision. For without them
we wouldn’t be here today.
The words of Kevin Bacon, a middling American actor of the day who opened the New Jersey hub of the worldwide concert, proved to be prescient. He also, it might
be noted, looked pretty cool in his sunglasses when he proclaimed to the howling crowd, “All around this planet Earth people are coming together to save ourselves and all
the generations who are gonna follow in
our footsteps.” And do that they did. Bravo!
The fact that we humans are still here
to celebrate the deeds done in our name 100 years ago today is testament to the good work done by Bacon and his musical cohorts. It’s unfortunate that Mr. Bacon and his brother then insisted upon taking the stage themselves. Archival records show
that a musical outfit known as the Bacon Brothers nearly lost the whole cause with
a brief three-song set that sent many of our ancestors clamoring for the exits.Thankfully, the Red Hot Chili Peppers got things back on course.
It is now a matter of record that the TV and movie stars of that era were every bit as great as they thought they were at the time. Without their help, the cooling of the globe that followed on the heels of their awesome one-day intercontinental concert never would have happened, the seas would have boiled away, and we would never have been born.
History will forever show that the earth, 4.5 billion years old when faced with its first major crisis, was saved by singers, rappers
and drummers wearing baseball caps cocked confidently to one side. This grateful planet and its happy citizens give thanks for, and celebrate, those selfless artists to whom
we owe our very existence.
Thanks for saving the planet.
We appreciate it. SP
Silas Von Haessler is the as yet unborn great-grandson of Eric Von Haessler the mind behind myspace.com/madpundit.