Lasting over 3 hours, drawing an estimated 215,000 people (depending on who you ask), and invoking moments of laughter and reflection; Jon Stewart’s Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear took place this past weekend. With much hype and much anticipation the rally has been deemed a success by its hosts, as well as several news media outlets. This rally confronted American society with hard questions about government as well as their own personal attitudes towards a multitude of issues including race, religion, and the media. Despite the claim that this rally was a success, I would be apt to describe it as 2 hours and 45 minutes of fill time leading up to near 13 minute eloquent and heart felt speech by Jon Stewart. This speech was the saving force of the entire rally.
Jon Stewart’s speech calls for the rational sect of American society to stand up against those things that hold us back (fear). His argument states that we must stand against the fear that has been pounded into our minds since birth by both our surroundings (friends, family, religion, schooling) and the news media. Despite Stewarts claim that this rally is not politically motivated, this rally is one which holds vast political charge. Each section of his address holds relevance in the heated political atmosphere we currently find ourselves in. This address is a call to our leadership, a call to the media but most importantly a call to the people that, “(this country is) filled with individuals of strong belief and principles they hold dear -- often principles and beliefs in direct opposition to their fellow travelers. And yet these millions of (individuals must work together)…And they do it. Concession by concession.”
Though Stewart’s intentions may have not been one of political context (which of course I highly doubt due to the political nature of his show), his impassioned speech may have very well sparked a political fervor in the minds of the sanity-prone, which will reverberate for years to come. In this first sentence of his address Stewart asserts his intentions but also lays a challenge for American society, “I can't control what people think this was. I can only tell you my intentions. This was not a rally to ridicule people of faith. Or people of activism or to look down our noses at the heartland or passionate argument or to suggest that times are not difficult and that we have nothing to fear. They are and we do. But we live now in hard times, not end times. And we can have animus and not be enemies.”
The key sentence, of not only the introductory section but his entire address is, “we can have animus and not be enemies.” Much like many of the signs from the crowd reflected, “I disagree with you, but I’m pretty sure you’re not Hitler.” Stewart claimed that, “(the problems we face) have real, (even) if imperfect solutions. Solutions that 70 to 80 percent of our population could agree to try, and ultimately live with. Unfortunately the conversation and process is controlled by the other 15 to 20 percent.” The real question is...can the 200,000 who rallied on Washington, the millions who watched at home, and the many more who may have missed this plea for sanity yet still believe in the core principal of Stewarts argument truly restore sanity to American politics.
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