Noam Chomsky

Noam Chomsky has been one of my most important political mentors. My few conversations with him have been immensely valuable. His work is careful and scholarly. I've since emphasized different aspects of the fight for freedom and justice, especially the hope that is all of our birthright and that has been so trampled. But Chomsky got me to open my eyes and focus on my own duties.

I personally give my good ol' buddy Noam a 10, even though his writing style certainly isn't for everyone, because what he does is very careful, very diligent, and very valuable. He's been a huge inspiration for me, and while I emphasize somewhat different things these days as an activist and changemaker, I do still believe in his general worldview and I deeply admire his focus on personal responsibility. He truly is a prophet of a kind: Not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but very important and very noble.