Before you get too excited, no, I have not yet heard from Stephen King regarding FridayReads. But I remain optimistic.

The United States of America is currently experiencing a crisis of humanity. At the same time, inspiration to participate in community or politics can be hard to find.

Enter Stephen King.

I believe that individual human beings are powerful beyond measure. That said, some of us are more powerful than others by virtue of visibility, talent, circumstance, money, or a combination of these. Stephen King is one of these people; his inherent talent, which he chooses to share with the world, gives him more power than your average schmo. Luckily for us all, he understands this, and chooses to give back, to contribute to the communities he inhabits.

He also understands history and politics. Heck, he named his son after a legendary labor organizer.

Yesterday, Stephen King spoke briefly to a gathering in Sarasota, Florida. He was more eloquent and impassioned in those five minutes than I’ve heard anyone be since President Obama’s fateful “Yes We Can” speech.

The audience was unabashedly liberal, but I’m going to take a wild guess that he counts among his fans many conservatives, too. I hope as many people as possible hear what he said, take it to heart, and act accordingly.

Here’s his speech: