Organizing for America | mehari gebreyohanns's Blog

Community Blogs

mehari gebreyohanns's Blog

View Full Profile »

About The Author...

Mehari (Wichita Falls, TX)

« Hide Full Profile

User Profile

User:

Name:

africandiaspora1

The Spirit of WQRZ / The parallel with our mission

By Mehari - Aug 26th, 2007 at 8:45 pm EDT

You might ask "what is WQRZ"?

WQRZ is the small very low powered FM community radio station located in the cost of MISSISSIPPI that stood the wrath of katrina and served it's community admirably by staying on the air while hundreds of corporate media radio stations with much more resources went silent.

I heard about this station many months ago but I had a chance to learn more about it after I had a chance to watch it again on Bill Moyer's, THE JOURNAL.

This radio station's engineer, manager, producer is just a citizen who erected a tower near his house and used his bed room as a broadcast studio and saved many lives by providing critical information to the public by staying on the air.

"...he lives on social security checks he receives for a medical disability, yet before the storm, he built a transmitter shack and hundred-foot tower himself and turned a bedroom of his house into a broadcast studio. The shack and tower weathered the storm; the house didn't".

RICK KARR: How long was it(Brice's house) underwater?

BRICE PHILLIPS: Not more than a couple hours, the whole house. And then, from the floor level down it stayed in water for two weeks, at least, you know, from the floor down.

BRICE PHILLIPS: I cannot replace my house. I don't have the money to do it. I'm on social security. I get 500 bucks a month. But there's no way that I can rebuild my house much less the studio. You know? So actually in a way, that's why I'm in this level of service to my community. Because when you're left with a last resource, you share it with your friends, you share it with your family and you share it with each other.

I can't help it but see parallels of WQRZ with Barack Obama's movement. I have read about veterans and elderly people who support Barack's movement by contributing a "small" amount from their disability and social security checks just like Brice. Brice and the participants of these movement are motivated by the desire to do good to the majority by putting their small resources together against other well financed campaigns supported by powerful Washington Lobbyists. Brice's Tower that withstood the powerful Katrina exemplifies our will that is going to continue to stand up to the nay sayers and other campaigns that have money and organization but fail to inspire people.

Mail to a Friend | Link | Comments (1) | Report Objectionable Content

Posts

Content on blogs in My.BarackObama represents the opinions of community members and in no way should be interpreted as endorsed or approved by the campaign.