Harold Feld at Summit for Community Wireless

HAROLD FELD'S SPEECH AT THE SECOND NATIONAL SUMMIT FOR COMMUNITY WIRELESS NETWORKS
[SOURCE: Harold Feld]
These are the stakes for our species. My seven-and-a-half year old son. Will he grow up to believe that he has power to change the world? Or will he believe what the media and the culture tell him: ‘You are helpless. To believe you can change the world is naïve and stupid. Being cynical is smart and sophisticated.’ It would be nice if I could blame this on some conspiracy of corporate conservatives. But it has penetrated throughout the supposedly liberal progressive bleeding heart of Hollywood. We used to make movies like “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.” Stories about how people who cared about seeing justice done would go to Washington on behalf of their communities and work for the common good. But when we talk, we can make a difference. We must tell our stories. We have so many incredibly powerful stories. We must find ways to tell them that reach out and make sense to the audience. When I talk about the importance of community wireless and spectrum reform, sometimes I talk about creating jobs. Sometimes I talk about ‘digital inclusion,’ or education, or becoming the owners of our own media. Sometimes I talk about Katrina and Rita and how this stuff saves lives and builds infrastructure. Sometimes I just talk about how cool the applications are and what you can do with them. Each of these stories is a true story. They are NOT spin. But I don't tell people stories they aren't ready to hear or that they won't understand. Most of all, I don't feel the need to tell the whole story at once. I work hard not to let our opponents “pigeon hole” me and force me into some preset position. Because if people think they understand you, they stop listening ­ we’re all busy after all. If I am “just” about digital inclusion or “just” about competition, I just become part of the background noise of talking head chatter. I need to have a dozen different stories in a dozen different ways. We must always remember that wireless is a tool, not a goal in itself. What we do has value because it changes peoples lives for the better. Wireless doesn't create jobs or educational opportunities on its own. It gives people a new way to get information, to create new kinds of speech or applications, and share these applications with others. We can't just “unwire” neighborhoods or throw up nodes or write code. We need to reach out to the communities around us, show them what they can do, give them what they need, then let go when they take it in completely different directions.
http://www.wetmachine.com/totsf/item/481