I take issue with Mike Clark-Madison's latest
article,
"Austin at Large: Access of
Evil," with its mean-spirited swipes at Alex Jones.
Perhaps
if more viewers actually listened to
Jones, they would realize this remarkable young man is not only
correct, but
that his outcries spring from a deep and sincere concern for all of us,
not
from paranoia. As a mother and grandmother, if my own children,
neighbors and
countrymen insisted on playing Frisbee on I-35, I would do my best to
dissuade
them. Failing that--I, too, might begin
screaming. The barely 30-year old Jones
is certainly no commercial sell-out, though he could have been--he's
had
several offers. Rather, he prefers the
less restricted ACTV environment and various independent radio stations
where
he, unlike his commercial contemporaries, freely shares all that he has
learned—documented,
for our benefit. Unfortunately,
for some more used to that
impersonal disingenuous monotonic alphabet-glam-news style, Jones'
oft-unrestrained delivery can be initially disconcerting.
But rest assured, his trademark intensity
springs from deeply genuine political and spiritual convictions. And
while his avant-garde
delivery may at once startle, at worst it just might awaken some of the
politically and spiritually long-slumbering from indifference. Jones is
consistent in his expressed desire for all of us to “wake up”,
regardless of
topic. In 2000 when I moved out of range
of Austin cablevision and
ACTV, I
was comforted to find him on our satellite lineup.
Now,
after six years of carefully researching
his claims, I find that he more than exemplifies possessing the courage
of one’s
convictions. Therefore, shame on you for
mocking free speech, Mr. two-names. But God bless you, Alex. We are surely listening. Hope it’s
not too late.
Yours truly,
Betty Elders, musician
(Former Austinite and board member Austin Music Commission,
ACTV, 1989-90)
Part 2
Dear editors,
Since one is permitted but 300 words at a time
to speak
here, permit this addendum:
Clark-Madison's maligning of the messenger (Alex
Jones;
"Austin at Large: Access of Evil,") nearly obscured the more
important issue of the grossly underreported homogenization,
consolidation, and
deconstruction of a nearly extinct and essential species, Austin
Community
Television....one of the last bastions of relatively free speech and
certainly
one of few media resources offering diverse programming neither owned,
sponsored, nor censored by Clear Channel Communications and the
pentagon. As a performing artist I am
personally grateful
for ACTV’s thirty years of contributions to music and independent
thinking. Hank Sinatra’s archival tapes
were
essential to
many of our careers. As a Christian, I
am grateful for the diversity of topics presented there, again fresh
air amid
the money changers….
BTW, if more Austinites had actually done their
civic homework
(as Alex consistently advocates), they might have learned of the actual
development of the plans (including turning the earth in preparation
for this over
the Shady Hollow watershed near Bliss Spillar Road) for a Toll Road,
more than
six years ago when TxDOT’s blueprints were still drying over at
Miller's, when
there was still time to stop it, and way before electronic voting
machines. (No one listened to me when I
tried to tell them, Alex. Perhaps I,
too, should have screamed, instead of relying on diplomacy...)
Perhaps it's not too late.
--Betty Elders
