Ted Kaczynski | Be a Seed for Change

Did you hear about The Heartland Institute‘s outrageous billboard comparing people who believe in climate change to mass murderers and terrorists? It’s possible you missed it, since a firestorm of criticism compelled them to take down their ad in one day. Take a look:

Since the billboard is now empty, we are reminding Heartland who is really on the fringe here. Just for this week, as Heartland convenes its annual conference, we are putting up our own ad in its place and on eight other billboards nearby — so that Chicagoans and everyone at the conference will see our response. And we are sharing this ad far and wide.

The Heartland Institute has a history of spreading denial and doubt about everything from tobacco to climate change. Now, they are associating everyone who believes in climate science with the worst of the worst.

We can’t let them have the last word. Serious leaders in science, business, religion and government from around the world have long recognized the need to take action to address the growing climate crisis. Our billboard will reflect their voices in the days ahead. And we need your help.

Take a look at our ad and help support this project.

Climate change is real. But there are groups out there — like the Heartland Institute — with a vested interest in promoting dirty fossil fuels. Don’t let them. Donate to our campaign to stop the climate deniers and win the conversation:

http://forms.climaterealityproject.org/billboard

Sincerely,

Maggie L. Fox President and CEO The Climate Reality Project

Someone Please Explain This to Mark Oxner.

In 2010, my opponent Dan Fanelli ran a TV ad arguing that white people should not be “pulled out of line at the airport,” because it’s an “invasion of our privacy,” and it’s “time to stop political correctness.”

Apparently, Fanelli had never heard of white terrorists Timothy McVeigh or Ted Kaczynski. But he may have heard later about Jared Loughner, who killed six people in his attempted assassination of Rep. Gabby Giffords, and Anders Breivik, who killed 93 people in Norway.

Well, the Silly Season is upon us again. My opponent Mark Oxner has topped Dan Fanelli.

Oxner is running an ad depicting Barack Obama, our first African-American President, as the captain of a slave ship. Populated by white children in chains.

The ad does feature some utterly incoherent, random references to “corporate subsidies,” “free healthcare,” bank bailouts, “the 99 percent,” Guy Fawkes, Cialis and “my husband’s solar company.” Much like a fevered, quick-cut dream of a junkie, strung out on meth. Or Glenn Beck. One or the other.

But the centerpiece of the ad is a maniacal photoshopped image of President Barack Obama, shouting “uh, no questions on this ship.” Plus a tight close-up of two 10-year-old white girls, in chains, rowing furiously. And in case you missed that oh-so-subtle point, there are balloons with the President’s campaign logo gently floating up and down, and the ship is called the “U.S.S. Obamaboat.”

In other words, prejudiced, demented garbage.

And I’m in the ad; my head is photoshopped onto the body of a parrot. Because, as everyone knows, I never have any thoughts of my own.

When Oxner posted this ad on YouTube, he understandably disabled the “like/dislike” ratings function, perhaps knowing that in Fanelli’s case, “dislike” beat out “like” by 10-to-1. Oxner also has assiduously deleted the cascade of criticism that was posted.

But he can’t censor the entire Internet. What did people say about Oxner’s ad? Well, I’ll give you a hint. If you google “Oxner racist,” you get 26,000 hits. Alternet called it “overt racism.” The Huffington Post called it “bizarre.” Facebook, without even bothering to comment on it, simply banned it.

Why is Mark Oxner running for Congress? Because KKK Grand Wizard David Duke isn’t a Florida resident?

I try really hard to give people good reasons to vote for me. Things I stand for. Things I care about. Things I’ve done. Things I’m going to do. But Mark Oxner has provided one of the best reasons I can think of: if I’m elected to Congress in November, then Mark Oxner won’t be.

We have set up a special ActBlue page, in honor of Mark Oxner, called “Beat the Bigot.” Because in every election, even if there isn’t always someone to vote for, there’s always someone to vote against. If you are just as disgusted with racist cranks like Mark Oxner as I am, then click here, and do something about it.

Courage,

Alan Grayson