Liberal Hexum

From 311wiki

Liberal Hexum is a non-profit organization, started my 311's frontman Nick Hexum, dedicated to supporting various environmental and social causes.

The first goal is to fund research efforts and raise awareness of the effects of global warming.

Many wonder why it was called 'Liberal' Hexum. Nick states "A disturbing trend in society today is the use of the word "liberal" as a derogatory label. I believe this is due to widespread misunderstanding of the true definition of the word. According to Webster?s dictionary a liberal is ?one who is open-minded or not strict in the observance of orthodox, traditional, or established forms or ways.? To describe someone as liberal is to say that they are a person ?having social views favoring reform and progress, tolerant of change; not bound by authoritarianism, orthodoxy, or tradition.? If society rejects people who are liberal then by definition society is favoring people who are closed minded, resistant to progress and reform, and intolerant of change. Is that really what we want? I believe that all of the great leaders in history could only be described as liberal. Abraham Lincoln, JFK, Gandhi & Martin Luther King were people who went against the conservative status quo of the time for what they believed was right. In our quest to raise awareness about global warming and other environmental issues, I also hope to raise awareness of the true meaning of the word "liberal" and to help remove the stigma from the word."

The primary mission statement says "Global warming is the most dire environmental problem that humans and animal species are facing today. While this remains a controversial subject, from the research we?ve done so far, we?ve found that the consensous of independant scientists believe that CO2 emissions are leading to rising air and water temperatures resulting in catastrophic hurricanes and the loss of habitat for many species. This is a problem that humans caused and humans can reverse. The first step is to understand the issue, then spread awareness of the problem and ultimately support solutions to reverse global warming. Your involvement is needed and greatly appreciated. Every great journey begins with a single step. Thanks for your support."

Nick has ran two marathons in support of Liberal Hexum, asking for pledges to donate to his cause. Both of them were extremely difficult for him, but he continued through and finished.