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DOUG JOHNSON: Welcome to AMERICAN MOSAIC, in VOA Special English.This is Doug Johnson. On our show this week:
Some music by The Ramones.
And we answer a question about the political parties involved inthe upcoming American presidential election.
But first, a report about the celebration of one of America’sbest loved writers.
Dr. Seuss Anniversary
This year is the one hundredthanniversary of the birth of the American writer of children’s booksknown as Doctor Seuss. There is a year-long celebration of thewriter and his work called the Seussentennial. Shep O’Neal has more.
SHEP O’NEAL: Doctor Seuss’ real name was Theodor Seuss Geisel. Hedied in nineteen ninety-one. He wrote forty-six children’s booksthat have sold more than two hundred million copies. His books havebeen translated into twenty languages. All the books are fun toread. They contain pictures of funny creatures and plants. Yet theyare about serious subjects like equality, responsibility andprotecting the environment.
Children and their parents enjoythe creatures created by Doctor Seuss: the elephant Horton from”Horton Hatches the Egg”, the mean Grinch from “How The Grinch StoleChristmas” and “The Cat In The Hat.”
The year’s celebration began with an Imagination Tour – onehundred days of events honoring the memory of Doctor Seuss. The tourvisited more than forty cities. It entertained children and adultswith performances by actors dressed as Seuss characters and readingsof Doctor Seuss books.
Another traveling show that is part of the year-long celebrationis “The Art of Doctor Seuss Tour.” This tour provides a look atDoctor Seuss’ artistic life. It has brought together examples of hisart from galleries across the country. Doctor Seuss also is beinghonored through an interactive art show at the Children’s Museum ofManhattan in New York City. It is a Seussian world presented inactivity areas for children. Museum officials say every part of theshow is linked with some of his books.
One of the simplest areas for the youngest children is a copy ofthe nest that Horton sits on when he hatches the egg. Other areasuse modern digital technology. For example, children can change thepictures and words from Seuss stories on a huge wall. Or they cantake part in vehicle races on video screens.
In another interactive area, children can watch themselves on alarge screen. Words from Doctor Seuss books rain down on them andthey can push, move or catch the words. Museum officials say thisfun activity teaches children how to read without having themrecognize that they are learning.
American Political Parties
DOUG JOHNSON: Our VOA listener question this week comes fromVietnam. Phuong Le asks how many political parties are taking partin the American presidential election in November.
A great many political parties are active in the United States.Some have candidates competing for the presidency. Others do not.The major parties involved in every presidential election are theRepublican and Democratic parties. More than thirty other smallpolitical parties are known as “third parties.” More than ten of thethird parties have candidates running for president.
These include the Libertarian Party and the Green Party.Libertarians want more freedom, lower taxes and less government. TheLibertarian Party has more candidates than any other third partycompeting in local elections across the country. Four hundred of itsmembers now hold local government offices.
The Green Party is linked to theenvironmental Green movement around the world. The Green Partybecame important in American politics when activist Ralph Naderbecame its first presidential candidate in nineteen ninety-six. Hegot more than seven hundred thousand votes and finished fourth inthe election.
Mister Nader was the Green Party candidate again in two thousand.That time, he finished third with more than two million votes. Thisyear, Ralph Nader is once again competing for the presidency, butnot for the Green Party. This year, he is an independent candidateand the nominee of the Reform Party.
Businessman Ross Perot founded the Reform Party in nineteenninety-five. The next year, he ran as the party’s presidentialnominee. He received eight million votes. However, he had receivednineteen million votes when he ran as an independent candidate forpresident four years earlier, in nineteen ninety-two.
Sometimes the two major parties object to candidates from thirdparties competing in the presidential race. They say thesecandidates receive votes that would have gone to one of the two maincandidates. For example, in two thousand, the Democrats asked RalphNader not to compete for president. They said he would take votesaway from their candidate, Vice President Al Gore. Political expertssay that is what happened. Some say Mister Gore would have won theelection if Ralph Nader had not been a candidate.
The Ramones
The Ramones, probably America’smost famous punk rock band, broke up eight years ago. But thisSunday fans will gather for a thirtieth anniversary celebration.Also, there is new documentary film called “End of the Century: theStory of the Ramones.” Faith Lapidus has our own story.
FAITH LAPIDUS: The year is nineteen seventy-four. The place isNew York City. Four young friends are influenced by the music ofpunk rockers like the New York Dolls and Iggy Pop. They form theirown band and call it the Ramones. They call themselves Johnny,Tommy, Joey and Dee Dee Ramone. They seem like a band of brothers.
After they play at a New York music club, C.B.G.B, they gain alocal following. In nineteen seventy-five, they sign a recordingdeal and release their first album. The first song is “BlitzkriegBop,” also known as “Hey Ho, Let’s Go.”
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Several popular albums follow, including “Leave Home” and “Roadto Ruin.” In nineteen eighty-one the Ramones release “PleasantDreams.” Fans love this song: “The K.K.K. Took My Baby Away.”
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In nineteen ninety-six, the Ramones play at the Avalon inHollywood. It is their last show together.
Dee Dee died from drugs two years ago, a year after Joey died ofcancer. And Johnny was treated in June for cancer. Organizers of theparty this Sunday at the Avalon say the money will go to aid cancerresearch.
Two later Ramones, Marky and C.J., will perform, and Tommy willspeak to the crowd. The show is also to include performances bymembers of Pearl Jam, the Red Hot Chili Peppers and the Sex Pistols.
We leave you with a nineteen eighty Ramones hit, “Do You RememberRock and Roll Radio?”
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DOUG JOHNSON: This is Doug Johnson.
I hope you enjoyed AMERICAN MOSAIC. Join us again next week forVOA’s radio magazine in Special English.
Our program was written by Nancy Steinbach and Caty Weaver. PaulThompson was the producer. And our engineer was Jim Sleeman.