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Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781634241403 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Trine Day |
| Publication date: | 09/22/2017 |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 416 |
| File size: | 2 MB |
About the Author
Read an Excerpt
CHAPTER 1
My Awakening – Part 1
On September 11, 2001, I was in college in midtown Manhattan when disaster struck. I was 19 years old. I remember gathering in the auditorium with other students to watch the news and shedding tears of disbelief as I saw footage of the towers being destroyed. Others cried in horror. I later had to walk home over the Williamsburg Bridge into Brooklyn because all public transportation had been shut down. I could see and smell the smoke billowing from downtown. I was covered in dust when I got home.
My Aunt Annette was a survivor who narrowly escaped the towers before the first collapse. And her fireman son, my cousin, Jason Ribisi, was a first responder who spent months at Ground Zero helping with the rescue effort. As a native New Yorker, I was deeply affected by the events of that day – more so even than most of my friends and classmates. Compelled to help in any way possible, I made an effort to donate blood in the immediate aftermath. For weeks after the event, I wore an American flag bandana and felt a deep sense of compassion and patriotism. How could this happen to us? I couldn't make sense of it all. As time went by, I felt a lingering sense that the whole thing was somehow unresolved.
That faded in time and life resumed as normal. I had no inkling that I was missing a major piece of the puzzle. Then, one day a few years later, probably around 2004 or '05, I was hanging out with some friends.
One of them, Dennis, who worked with me at Starbucks at the time, said, "Did you hear that a missile hit the Pentagon?"
"What? No," I replied.
He then proceeded to show us a short video on the Internet proposing that a missile, not a plane, had actually crashed into the Pentagon on 9/11.
Although interested, I was unconvinced. However, I began thinking about the implications of this scenario.
"But if the Pentagon was a lie," I said, "that means ... the whole thing was a lie."
"Well, yeah," he replied, with a laugh.
That was the first time I was confronted with the possibility that we were lied to about what happened on 9/11. It didn't rock my world, and it wasn't really Earth shattering – probably because I was still unconvinced by the short Internet video presented by a wisecracking friend. But it definitely gave me pause for thought.
I pretty much forgot about the whole thing after that. But sometime in 2006, I was on Myspace and one of my friends, a guy I trusted and respected greatly, posted a documentary called Loose Change: 2nd Edition. I watched the entire film and was presented with an abundance of information that contradicts many aspects of the official 9/11 story.
The film was compelling, hard hitting and well produced. It covered insider trading and foreknowledge, the response of our air defense system (NORAD), conflicting news reports about the alleged hijackers, the Pentagon strike, Flight 93, and the destruction of the Twin Towers and WTC Building 7. Loose Change One and Two would eventually be viewed over 50 million times, making it one of the most watched movies on the Internet.
I knew the film may not be 100% accurate, but if even part of it was accurate then we had a big problem on our hands. At that point, I was absolutely fascinated but still unconvinced. I wanted to learn more, so I went to Google Video and simply typed in "9/11 truth." The search yielded a treasure trove of incredible documentaries on the subject – many by a guy named Alex Jones.
Alex is a radio personality, journalist and documentary filmmaker from Austin, Texas. In terms of alternative media, his website at infowars.com is one of the top outlets in the world and has helped grow a number of other outlets, including WRC. I will state this right off the bat – Alex has become extremely polarizing in recent years largely due to his support for and relationship with Donald Trump, leaving many in the movement feeling disappointed and betrayed, myself included. He even had Trump on his program leading up to the 2016 election. (Trump will be discussed in a later section). Having said that, Alex was an integral part in the story of WRC and will be treated as such. His earlier work on 9/11 and the police state was powerful and inspired many of us at that time. Helping to facilitate grassroots growth, he would eventually promote us to his large, national audience.
The most shocking of Alex's films, to me, was actually not about 9/11; it was one made before then. It was called Dark Secrets Inside Bohemian Grove, which exposed how every year, high-ranking government officials and industry leaders meet in the redwood forest of Sonoma County, CA, and observe a strange occult ritual called the "Cremation of Care." This mock-human sacrifice takes place with men in hooded robes in front of a giant, 40-foot tall owl statue. Complete with screams of terror and mad laughter, a creepy amplified voice narrates the ominous affair. Some of the other reports and rumors of what happens at the Grove are equally shocking. Richard Nixon is on tape discussing its bizarre reputation.
Other researchers whose work I enjoy include Jim Marrs, Jordan Maxwell and David Icke. Although they venture into some very strange areas, the body of their work is profound, thought provoking and inspiring.
I would also like to mention the late, great filmmaker and researcher, Aaron Russo. Once a famous producer of entertaining films such as Trading Places, he blew the lid off the corrupt Federal Reserve System and IRS in his groundbreaking 2006 documentary America: Freedom to Fascism. Issues surrounding the Federal Reserve System and IRS would also become key focal points for WRC and the Liberty Movement.
Alex Jones' films dealt mostly with government corruption, and Loose Change covered some of the more controversial issues surrounding 9/11. But I would later find what I considered to be irrefutable, ironclad proof that we were lied to about what happened on 9/11. The film 9/11 Press For Truth focused on interviews of victims' family members about their dissatisfaction and outrage with the 9/11 Commission. According to widow Laurie Van Auken, 70 percent of their questions remained unanswered by the final commission report. Critical eyewitness testimony that challenged the official story was omitted.
The investigation was resisted by the Bush Administration from the very beginning. Even commission co-chairmen Tom Kean and Lee Hamilton would later reveal they were "set up to fail" with a lack of funding, time, resources and cooperation. One commissioner, former Senator Max Cleland, even resigned, calling it "a national scandal."
And John Farmer, the senior counsel to the commission, stated "... at some level of the government, at some point in time ... there was an agreement not to tell the truth about what happened."
Bush first appointed Henry Kissinger as executive director, but the family members demanded he step down because of his business ties with the Bin Ladens. Bush then appointed Philip Zelikow, an insider of his administration who wrote a draft memo for the setup of the National Security Counsel. He also wrote the pre-emptive war strategy for Iraq and was a close friend of Condoleezza Rice, Bush's Secretary of State. The family members demanded he step down as well, but were ignored.
Bob McIlvaine, who lost his son Bobby on 9/11, states at the end of the film, "I'm so pissed off at the government because of this cover-up."
It's one thing to come across "conspiracy theories" on the Internet propagated by filmmakers and journalists. It's another to hear facts and evidence presented by victims' family members and survivors – those most closely affected by 9/11. They have credibility and are not speculating from a distance. One of our main talking points in WRC was that the 9/11 Truth Movement was started by victims' family members demanding a new impartial, unbiased investigation. In 2006, Bill Doyle, head of the Coalition of 9/11 families, stated that about half the members believed there was government complicity in the attacks.
I later came across an incredible website called patriotsquestion911.com, which documents and compiles all the family members, survivors, military and government officials, professors, architects, engineers, pilots, etc., who publicly question the official story. There are hundreds of people in each category of this comprehensive list. This is one of the best resources, and I recommend this and 9/11 Press For Truth as a starting point for anyone new to the subject. Several organizations have formed over the years, including Architects & Engineers for 9/11 Truth, Pilots for 9/11 Truth, Scholars for 9/11 Truth, Lawyers for 9/11 Truth and Firefighters for 9/11 Truth.
Other great 9/11 researchers include Kevin Ryan, David Ray Griffin and Steven E. Jones. Scientific studies have been published in academic journals verifying their claims. And 9/11 survivor and hero William Rodriguez tells an amazing story of witnessing explosions in the basement of the WTC before either plane had hit. He personally rescued 15 people on 9/11 and was even honored at the White House five times in the immediate aftermath. Reaching millions with his message, he's traveled the world and appeared on international television programs to tell his story with survivors to back up his claims.
Another key issue surrounding 9/11 was the treatment of the tens of thousands of heroic first responders who rushed in from all around the country to help in any way they could. First of all, they were lied to about the air quality by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and were told it was safe to breathe. Secondly, the majority of first responders we encountered told the same story of not enough medical coverage or financial aid to help as they endure life-threatening ailments and conditions. Often without means or resources, their families and friends have had to foot the hefty medical bills.
The government was quick to use these brave heroes to promote its political agenda but then later would not take care of them and even resisted their pleas. One first responder we interviewed at Ground Zero, Jim LaPenna, told us that Bloomberg was actually using their funds to pay lawyers to fight against them in court. This video was one of the first I made.
[YouTube: WeAreCHANGE Interviews Jim LaPenna, 9-11 First Responder]
By this point, I was convinced that there was more to 9/11 than we were told – there was a national cover-up. I remember, on the one hand, feeling incredibly betrayed, duped and outraged, but on the other, everything started to make sense and fit into place. This is why we faced so many problems in our country and in the world – it's because the people in power do not have our best interests at heart and are steering it that way. There was (and is) a more sinister, hidden agenda at play.
It was late August 2006, just weeks before the fifth anniversary of 9/11, when I decided to take action. I looked online for others in New York City working for the cause. I came across a group called NY911Truth, whose activists, equipped with signs, banners, and binders and folders full of facts and information, demonstrated at Ground Zero on a weekly basis by handing out flyers and DVDs. Their headquarters were at St. Marks Church in the East Village. It was an interesting bunch, consisting of mostly older folks who observed films and lectures. There were some younger people who did the majority of the outreach and street actions.
And, of course, there were a number of nutty characters and agitators who were sometimes referred to as "froot loops." One guy claimed to be an actual futuristic cyborg like the Terminator. For years he upheld the wild assertion. He once nearly died laughing as he showed us a video of a wrestler called "The Boogieman," who smashed a clock over his head and ate a fistful of worms. This person, who simply had a few quirks and eccentricities, happened to be a stellar activist and a great asset to our group.
The group was headed by Les Jamieson, Frank Morales, Tom Foti, Luke Rudkowski and others. Young Luke would go on to become a founder and figurehead of WRC.
Luke, with an inner city, hip-hop edge, was a slender, young Polish immigrant with short, blond hair living in Brooklyn. I believe he was around 20 years old at that time. Prior to his involvement in the movement, he had been a victim of police brutality, and he had sought justice but never received it. While this naturally contributed to issues with authority, it also fueled his passion. Upon first impression, he was rough around the edges. It's partly what made him such a great guerilla journalist.
Luke became a leader within the movement, appearing in numerous films, videos, newscasts and radio shows, and inspiring countless people to take action around the world. His confrontations with high-level political figures and oppressive armored officers are among the best. He would eventually travel the world to cover major stories, often risking his own safety and livelihood, sometimes suffering serious consequences. And he, marred by all manner of accusation from activists and pundits alike, would also become the subject of controversy.
I became good friends with Luke and visited his home on several occasions. I was struck by the many pictures of historic revolutionaries hanging on his walls, including Malcolm X, Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Tom Foti was a clean-cut, middle-aged gentleman with short, brown hair. Technically part of the "older crowd," but every bit as energetic in his pursuit of truth, he was the ideal activist in many ways – smart, articulate, brave, well researched, dedicated and motivated. With a booming voice, he gave impassioned speeches that inspired many over the years. And he was also an allaround great guy – kind, caring and humorous. While many within the movement would embody these characteristics, Tom was especially noteworthy. It was no wonder he took on such a prominent role early on. In his spare time, he was a musician and an actor.
From the time I arrived, I heard rumblings that all was not well within the leadership of NY911Truth. Rumors of deceit and coercion were rampant, and these issues would cause the ultimate secession of many members who would form WRC. But in late August and early September 2006, we were united with the purpose of bringing truth to New York City for the fifth anniversary of 9/11 and would succeed in planning and hosting the biggest 9/11 Truth events to date.
September 11, 2006: 9/11 Truth Breakthrough Weekend
"Educate and inform the whole mass of the people. ... They are the only sure reliance for the preservation of our liberty."
– Thomas Jefferson
The stage was set for 9/11/06, with five days of major events planned to be hosted by NY911Truth (a sixth day would be added last minute). Luke had the best connections and would bring our biggest draws – Alex Jones and Louder Than Words (the crew that made Loose Change). We called it 9/11 Truth Breakthrough Weekend and here lists the schedule of events.
Note that the sidebar text is copied, with minor edits for clarification or consistency, from their original press releases.
I attended all the events and brought as many friends and family members as possible. I was determined to help make this a huge success.
At the time, I was listening to the album Living With War by Neil Young. Released earlier that year, it railed against the Bush Administration and the Iraq War in total protest, which totally jived with my feelings and actions. The entire album was written and recorded over only nine days. I was also listening to the great, classic folk guitarist, Mississippi John Hurt. This was the soundtrack to my September 2006 events.
Conference with David Miller
September 9, 2006 (Day Two), was the first time I participated in street activism. I was joined by James Orlando, the bass player of my band. We all met at Union Square early in the day. We were greeted by Tom Foti, who gave us a bunch of flyers to hand out. Our instructions were to spread out, so James and I decided to stand in front of the nearby Barnes & Noble. While I handed out flyers, James held a sign that read: "STOP THE 9/11 COVER-UP."
It was a strange sensation at first – meeting random strangers on the street and trying to educate them on such a controversial, heavy subject. But within a few minutes I found my groove and started to enjoy it. In my humble opinion, I'd eventually become a top-notch, articulate activist. I knew exactly what to say to introduce the information and to unlock a person's mind. I knew which issues to harp on and which to avoid, something many of my fellow activists overlooked. I discovered the best strategies for reaching the most people in the shortest amount of time and would often convey this direction to the group.
(Continues…)
Excerpted from "We Are Change"
by .
Copyright © 2017 Brian Kenny.
Excerpted by permission of Trine Day LLC.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Table of Contents
Foreword Cynthia McKinney: I Love We Are Change! 1
Preface 5
Chapter 1 2001-2006 11
My Awakening - Part 1 11
September 11, 2006: 9/77 Truth Breakthrough Weekend 16
Community Church Conference With David Miller 17
Breakthrough Press Conference & Concert 23
The Five Year Anniversary 24
We Are Chance is Born 28
Dan Wallace 32
Chapter 2 2007 37
We Are Change Splits From Ny911Truth 37
Mission Statement & Code Of Conduct 45
Confronting The Bigwigs - Part 1: Brzezinski 48
Confronting The Bigwigs - Part 2: Rockefeller 51
We Are Change Confronts Rudy Giuliani 54
Norman Mineta Confirms Cheney/9-11 Story - 911 Truth Seattle 57
We Are Change Visits Tax Protesters Ed & Elaine Brown 58
We Are Change Questions Michael Moore 61
Mayor Bloomberg's Freedom Of The Press Train Ride 62
September 11, 2007: let's make history! 72
9/11 Truth Invades Fox News, Geraldo 75
Webster Hall Conference With John Feal 81
Truthstock-The Concert, John Schroeder 87
Ground Zero & Judson Church With William Rodriguez 90
We Are Change Confronts Alan Greenspan 98
We Are Change Confronts Norman Podhoretz 101
We Are Change Ambushes Bill & Hillary Clinton 105
We Are Change La Ambushes Bill Maher 116
George Carlin Questions "Received Reality" 121
Martin Sheen Questions 9/11 - We Are Change La 122
Halloween 2007 - A Spectacle 122
Chapter 3 2008 127
We Are Change Confronts Tim Russert 127
We Are Change Confronts Larry Silverstein 131
March 11,2008: Carl Cameron, Bo Dietl, Phil Gramm & John Mccain 136
Gary Hart Warns of New False-Flag Attack 148
We Are Change Confronts Arnold Schwarzenegger 151
Bilderberg 2008, Day 1 155
Day 2 168
Day 3 170
Day 4 182
We Are Change Meets Wrestling Star Chris Jericho 191
We Are Change Confronts Barack Obama 193
We Are Change Confronts Joe Scarborough & Mika Brzezinski 197
September 11, 2008: Now Or Never! 200
Ground Zero Vigil & Rally, BBC Debunked 203
Judson Church Conference with Cynthia McKinney 211
Symposium & Hip-Hop Concert Benefit 217
We Are CHANGE Confronts Douglas Feith 225
Sara Palin Supports New 9/11 Investigation - WRC Ohio 230
We Are Change Confronts CNN's Wolf Blitzer 230
We Are Change DESTROYS Karl Rove 233
We Are Change Confronts 9/11 Commissioners 237
Lee Hamilton 237
Philip Zelikow 241
Richard Ben-Veniste 243
Bob Kerrey 248
Chapter 4 2009 253
Jimmy Carter Supports New 9/11 Investigation - WRC Ohio 253
Luke & Others Set Up, Arrested at Bloomberg Event 254
We Are Change La Confronts Joe Biden 255
WRC LA Delivers Scientific Proof of Treason to Congress 257
September 11, 2009: The Real Change Conference 266
Friday, 9/11/09 270
Ground Zero 'Steel Cross,' Frank Silecchia 278
Jay-Z Concert Outreach & 3rd Day Start 282
The Real Change Conference at Cooper Union 285
Tyranny at G20 291
We Are Change Has AlGore on the Run 307
Chapter 5 2010 - Present 319
We Are Change Confronts Mike Bloomberg on the Radio 319
We Are Change Tampa Confronts George W. Bush 323
We Are Change Confronts Dick Cheney 329
Confronting the Bigwigs - Part 3: Kissinger 332
Other Stories & Celebrity Encounters 342
Epilogue: My Awakening - Part 2: Conclusion 357
Appendices: We Are Change Timeline 369
We Are Change Chapters 381
Afterword by Wendy Painting: Small World - Deep State - Dark Swamp (Reflections on Trump) 385