Op/Ed 1/14/09: Open Letter to the Citizens of Israel

The UpTake is opening up a call for Opinion/Editorial videos. To kick this off, we bring you all the first video by Dennis Trainor, who will be providing a regular voice to our media palette. We do not have a name for the show yet, and look forward to hearing ideas for the show's name from our audience. We also hope that more people feel inspired to send us "video op/eds" and will be providing guidance in the near future on how to submit your own opinions to our site.

For more about Dennis, here is what Steve Grove, the head of news and politics at YouTube had to say about him:

"I first met Dennis when he started his channel on YouTube under the moniker "Davis Fleetwood". Playing the role of an angry hermit in the basement of his home, Dennis' character was a unique bird to the Internet community - combining the satire of a Lenny Bruce with the performance style of an Andy Kaufman, all the while offering an acerbic social commentary that resonated with a large audience on the site. "Davis Fleetwood" soon became one of the most prominent voices in YouTube politics, posting daily videos that were thoughtful, provocative, and darkly humorous.

When YouTube teamed up with CNN to host a part of presidential debates, we tapped "Davis" to come to the debate and produce commentary from the scene
on YouTube's behalf - and a question he'd submitted online was posed to Dennis Kucinich in the live televised debate. It must have been a sign - within weeks, Dennis had been hired by the Kucinich campaign to do reporting and commentary for the campaign. To my knowledge this was the first time a video
blogger had been plucked from YouTube and hired by a presidential campaign. Demonstrating he could shift from theatre to politics, Dennis produced some
great online and on-air video content for the Kucinich campaign, breathing a fresh perspective into the campaign.

In the new an undefined field of online video, Dennis has proven he knows both how to create compelling work, and how to distribute and promote it. One ...

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• gaza
• israel
• opinion
• palestine
• uptake

[Mumina415]

Let us return to Israel what is rightly theirs: Michael Chertoff and Rahm Emmanuel. Keep Joe at no extra charge.

Hey, while I've got you on the line; was Monica Lewinski a Zionist plot? She did move like a heat-seeking missile. Or am I just too paranoid?

[Dutchoven08]

I look my Jewish Neighbors in the face and say Free Gaza!

[LipsMalloy]

I thought I recognized you, "Davis Fleetwood"! Absolutely LOVE it!!! Glad you're back.

[pedophile22]

It sucks to be a Muslim because you always have to defend the character of Muhammad against accusations of PEDOPHILIA, murder, rape, narcissism, adultery, womanizing. It is funny that Muslim call this scum bag a perfect human being. What a joke!

[markthetruck]

And the award for absolute inabiltiy to understand anything that isn't under water goes to....PEDOPHILE22!!! Your generalisations and misconceptions are truly a wonder to behold. Where did you get your degree in rhetoric; GW Bush School for the Incredibly Lacklustre?

[pedophile22]

Typical Muslim Logic - trying to get the last drop out of crusades argument while forgetting that Islam in its history has killed more people than Hitler and Stalin combined. Islam killed 80 million people in India alone during its long occupation. Add to that victims in other lands.

[markthetruck]

To suggest that Palestinians are 'lazy' because of Mohammed is selective at best; aside from the fact that Palestinians had their entire country stolen from them when europeans sought to make up for the genocide that they actively engaged in or gave tacit approval for. Before you make rash generalisations you ought to look to yourself and see how you measure up. What were the Crusades but theft and murder?

[markthetruck]

We can take from the histories of all peoples selective instances of opression, looting, robbery, and murder(interestingly much of which was sanctioned by God) To disparage any religeon based on selective history is to impune all religeon. Don't forget; we savages are decended from the people "good christians" sought to eradicate or assimilate in our parents and grandparents lifetime. We too have been labelled "lazy". This despite having created our own civilisation before the Vikings arrived.

[pedophile22]

You don't make sense with your bizarre comments. Elaborate.

[markthetruck]

I get it !!! You are throwing stones from a glass house. How wise of you!!!

[pedophile22]

Muhammad was a caravan thief! Get it?

[markthetruck]

Wow... Selective history... tell me; how were the people of North America treated when your ancestors arrived?