Event: It's a Free Country

Michael Moore, Steve Earle, Cornel West, Ani DiFranco, Matt Groening, Tom Hayden, Members of Congress, Contribute to “It’s a Free Country” Share of Profits to Benefit the ACLU & Freedom Legal Defense and Education Project New York -- As the one year anniversary of the September 11th attacks on America approaches, voices across the ideological spectrum have been joined together in an anthology titled, It’s a Free Country, that underscores the need for Americans to embrace and cherish our precious freedoms -- even as our longing for physical safety challenges the foundation and principles embodied in the U.S. Constitution. It’s a Free Country features a foreword by Cornel West and contains over 50 original writings, poems and cartoons. From U.S. Rep. Bob Barr (R-GA) to ACLU executive director Anthony Romero, this collection of personal stories, legal arguments, poems and historical reminders about the importance of preserving civil liberties in a country struggling to regain its confidence, is set to hit bookstores in late August. It’s a Free Country reminds Americans -- even during times of war – that citizens must be vigilant in ensuring the federal government continues to guarantee and uphold the fundamental freedoms and prerogatives of its citizens. Americans from across the nation, with differing views, experiences and perspectives, donated their time to this important project. With twenty-five percent of the profits going to the American Civil Liberties Union, and twenty-five percent going to the Freedom Legal Defense and Education Project, the aim of the anthology is to heighten awareness in the country about the need to aggressively defend the civil liberties this country was founded upon. Contributors included:

• U.S. Rep. Bob Barr, Republican legislator from Georgia who lead the impeachment efforts against former President Bill Clinton;
• Ani DiFranco, outspoken singer/songwriter who refused to sign with a major record company and instead formed her own recording label;
• Steve Earle, highly acclaimed singer/songwriter who writes politically profound country music;
• U.S. Rep. Barney Frank, Democratic legislator from Massachusetts;
• Tom Hayden, California state senator; leader of the civil rights, anti-war movements in the 1960s and the environmental and anti-nuclear movements in the 1970s;
• Asma Hasan, author of a book on being a young American Muslim;
• Michael Isikoff, Newsweek investigative correspondent whose exclusive reporting on the Clinton/Lewinsky scandal in 1998 gained him national attention;
• Andrew Kirkland, Assistant Police Chief in Portland Oregon who refused the Justice Department’s demand that he ignore Oregon state law and investigate Middle Eastern individuals not suspected of any crime; (CK description)
• Michael Moore, best selling author, documentary filmmaker;
• Michael Ratner, international human rights lawyer and president of the Center for Constitutional Rights;
• Anthony Romero, Executive Director of the ACLU;
• Norman Siegel, civil rights lawyer and executive director of the Freedom Legal Defense and Education Project; U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters, Democratic legislator from California;
• Cornel West, professor of African-American studies at Princeton University;

It’s a Free Country is the debut title from RDV Books/Akashic Books and was edited by the three publishers: Danny Goldberg, Chairman of Artemis Records, an independent recording company which represents Steve Earle, Rickie Lee Jones, Warren Zevon and others, is a longtime political activist who has written for The Nation, The American Prospect and the LA Times. Victor Goldberg, co-publisher of Tikkun with his son Danny and associate publisher of The Nation, is president of Victor Goldberg and Associates and has been an activist for civil liberties for 45 years. Robert Greenwald, who has produced and or directed more than 45 television, cable and theatrical films, including “Steal this Movie” about Abbie Hoffman, is about to release a new film, “Unprecedented,” a documentary about the 2000 Election.