Sowing seeds of radicalism (the good kind)

Last weekend I stopped in Olympia to visit my old alma mater, Saint Martin's University.

My two years at SMU had it's ups and downs and I loved every minute of it. I played goalie on the fledgling men's soccer team, became a senator for our student government, gave campus tours and served as an freshman orientation councilor. I even acted in a play (yikes).

But it had it's downs too. I was hired as an RA but got fired before I started. The reason, you see, is because Saint Martin's campus is a dry campus – meaning no boozey-booze in the dormy-dorms.

But I, being the hardheaded idiot I am, decided that no one consulted me when they were making these rules so I was not obliged to observe them. And besides, it's college right?

So I did what I pleased and the consequences came in their due time.

But more important than any of that – it was at St. Martin's that I found the academic voice to articulate my distaste for unquestioning acceptance of authority. And it was where I began to think I could help make the world a better place.

And, perhaps consequently, since adopting that belief I think I have, and will continue, to do good.

One of the many reasons for this is a man named Dr. David Price, someone who came to embody freedom of thought and independence of mind and spirit for me. He is a moral educator and the first teacher I really respected (but not the last).


You can't see it very well but that little note he pinned to his office is a job offer from the CIA – displayed here with an obvious wink and nod to illustrate the inherent absurdity of the Company inviting someone like Price to join its ranks.

It was because of Price that I developed a great love and appreciation for public records.

See after someone dies, their FBI files become public information, so whenever someone interesting (radicals, activists or worse – peace-mongers) dies he files FOIAs for any federal records on that person. Because of these FOIAs his basement now resembles the FBI archives.

Citizens like these do not make the government happy.

That, in turn, makes citizens like me extremely happy. And that glee, the joy that comes from knowing something somebody doesn't want you to know, is what planted the seed for my eventual headlong dive into journalism.

From him I took a class on how to be an effective policy-and-society changer and I remember him saying: "The most effective radical is the one wearing the tie."

Meaning, if you really want to change the system, if you really want to effective lasting and positive societal change – do it from within. Be the Trojan horse.

It was at that time I decided I want to be an agent of real, lasting and good change. For now that's writing – journalizing. And I have to thank Dr. David Price for being a great educator – and for teaching me about the Freedom Of Information Act.