(Thanks, moveon.org)

Over-saturation. Awash and armpit-deep in the slag that runs downstream from American consumer culture like toxins from a copper mine, floating on the surreal slime of propaganda that drools from the corporate news every day, I find solace in headphones. Listening to the simple American truth and substance of Aaron Copland, I quell the dizziness.

CNN is selling the DUI trial of some hotel heiress as more important than what concerns the land and its people, the same day that Glenn Beck (CNN doesn’t define his show as ‘editorial’ on the promo) goes on the air defending political conservatism—and Mormonism. God bless America, indeed.

In the same news cycle, the chimp-in-chief is threatening to veto a measure that would include woman abuse and gay-bashing as hate-crimes, but that story’s buried, and just try, America, to unravel the web between Tony Snow, Fox, CNN and the White House. I’ve taken it this far: Fox has presented the Nat’l Inquirer as an affiliate; Tony Snow comes from Fox. Now, maybe it’s just me, but I would expect that in an office previously occupied by Nobel peace-prize laureates and nominees, the thought of the National Inquirer having a connection of any kind would foster disbelief.

Evidently, where televangelist Pat Robertson’s disciples rule, reality is… well, different. What with the unification of church and state, truth has to be hunted from downwind by sleuths in cammo, or it’ll bolt. This is NOT the America our Forefathers founded, and this is NOT the truth in news they would say we should have. Copland sounds more pensive than usual in “Appalachian Spring.” Strange; it’s the same recording I’ve played a hundred times.

More importantly, in the same news cycle and also hidden from viewers, a bill has won its way to the floor of Congress which if passed will BAN paperless electronic voting machines. Golly… that sounds important. No mention on CNN of course. I found out through MoveOn.org, which is in part responsible for the bringing of this measure to the floor. In my mind at least, this measure is more important than any other. More important than the “decision” to go into Iraq; more important even than Supreme Court nominees. For the first time since 2000, there is hope that America will be back in control of America. In the headphones, the opening of “Fanfare For the Common Man” explodes its magnificent truth: a lone trumpet blazes down through the clouds over the land like shafts of sunlight breaking a storm, heralding Nature’s own glory.

MoveOn… I cannot possibly lavish enough praise for an organization so effective, so well-conceived, and whose missions are so commonly so well-executed on street level (that means in the offices of gummit, folks). Armchair patriots can sit at their computers, and actually participate in government in whatever small way. Folks with more availability are welcome and encouraged to lend a hand, of course.

For my part, I crave nothing more than to make it real and go face-to-face with legislators, doing my best to have the effect of a lightning bolt when I smell the bleeding of America… but I’m paying my daughter’s way through college with no college fund. Patriot or no, decisions affecting my time and money are mandated by that criterion.

For knuckleheads like me, who care about the Constitution but can’t afford the time (and there are a lot of us these days), Moveon.org is a god-send. The compass and sextant that was the voice of American people, upholding and defending the Constitution against foes foreign or domestic, is NOT dead. Let’s back them, and not lose our way. To the folks at MoveOn, I’d like to say thanks, whoever you are. You rock. Voices without action are just howling at the moon.