Miz Liz goes to Washington

A year ago today I had the privilege of being interviewed by Sean Faircloth, formerly the Executive Director of the Secular Coalition of America, currently the Director of Strategy and Policy at the Richard Dawkins Foundation US.  I'd written a statement about religion-based medical neglect for the Secular Coalition's White House meeting in 2010. (I was supposed to fly to DC and read it myself but a blizzard intervened and shut down the northeast above Washington; this was the work, my daughter said, of the fashionista gods because I didn't really have suitable clothes.) Here's the link, if you're interested: http://secular.org/heywoodtestimony%20

But last year I flew to DC to accept Sean's invitation of an interview. It was a one-day whirlwind. Buying a plane ticket means throwing yourself into the casino of airports, gates, flight schedules and security checks like a pinball in the machine. The trip spun out of control just as soon as it began.

I made it to Reagan (not my original destination) several hours late, swooping past the Pentagon and the National Mall. Sean's (borrowed?) car had a GPS computer voice feeding him directions for our hairy, rushed ride to the studio. Before my plane had even landed I'd promised myself to NOT worry about the skewed schedule and my desperate flight times.  I had an emergency trump card--the phone number of a friend's sister who, I'd been assured, would let me crash on her couch. So I focused.

You can see how it went right here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcSBDSQdt1A&feature=g-user

Afterwards Sean drove like a maniac to the train station, all the while pointing out Washington landmarks.  I'd been too distracted to even bring a camera. We stopped for a red light and Sean said, "That's the White House." Sure enough, it was right there, looking crowded and as unready for scrutiny as I'd felt before my cancelled trip to it. 

At the station Sean hurriedly signed me a copy of his book. I caught a train, late again. My plane was boarding as I speed-hobbled into the terminal. I still had to get my ticket. I won't even go into the security check; amputees have to put their feet on the designated footprints and be wanded. And where the hell was a wheelchair, a golf cart, anything when I really needed it? I was one click away from Toddler Meltdown, ready to lie on the floor and bang my head.  (I flagged down a luggage trolley,prepared to offer the guy five bucks to haul me to my gate but he was going the wrong way.)

Suffice to say I made my flight. I was sweating and panting, and the flight attendants weren't giving out water, but I was so pathetic they relented. After that, it was cake, even the rain and fog delays. You know the drill.

The interview received upwards of sixteen thousand views in a year. Last night I hit the Youtube link for it and found this: "The Youtube account associated with this video has been terminated due to multiple third-party notifications of copyright infringement."

So of course, I was thrilled: I pictured the Christian Science church coming with torches and pitchforks... Alas. The whole Richard Dawkins youtube channel had been shut down. Apparently this happens sometimes. I don't know any details, nefarious or dull.

Now their new channel's up. My interview's on it. See what you think.