Ralph Nader came to Baltimore on July 14, 2007 to speak on the "Seventeen Traditions," the name of his new book. Nader noted that his new immigrant parents from Lebanon raised him in a small town of Connecticut during the Depression and World War II, teaching him to take "equality and justice for all" in the Declaration of Independence seriously.

His father owned a restaurant, and during the American Depression of the 1930s fed other townspeople who could not pay, among other things. His father did not crow about it--this was "family values" for his parents--and also what any civic and responsible American should do.

Nader appeared at St. Johns Church at 2640 St. Paul Street, in the new Charles Village space being renovated by local activists and the Red Emma's Coffeeshop / Bookshop Collective. They already have been using the large spacious church for numerous weekly and one-time progressive and radical Baltimore events. Between 100-200 people showed up to the Nader speech. The chairs were all taken; people were standing in the back; Nader's speech was inspiring.

Nader urged the audience to recall and cultivate their own family knowledge, history, and traditions. This type of cultural memory and heritage today is being lost in the raising of children, argued Nader. Today children spend more and more time with what he calls "the electronic culture": television, the Internet, iPods, cell phones, and various other devices.

Nader also dryly noted that "family values" being promoted by Southern right-wing religious conservatives like Pat Robinson today is the only type of "family values" being discussed in the mainstream media. He added that mainstream liberal leaders have forgotten to speak about how liberal values are rooted in their family structures. People are forgetting this important cultural and familial heritage.

Nader left the audience with a number of mottos. The Roman philosopher and politician Cicero said that freedom is participation in power. By that standard, said Ralph Nader, most Americans are not free.

He added that an ancient Chinese proverb goes "To know and not do, is not to know." He then urged the audience to take daily actions in their own lives to represent their values in the world. Do not worry about what others are doing, said Nader. One's own activism can include using consumer dollars to shop at small businesses rather than chain stores. It can include attending or creating community meetings, organizations and events, and of course participating in democracy.

Independent reporter William Hughes recorded the Nader speech and has posted the video online. The link is below.

video.google.com/videoplay

Photo by William Hughes.