While chatting with Joe, I learned he's national coordinator of Fuel For Truth, an organization whose mission is to gather and disseminate accurate information about Israel and the Middle East. This immediately makes him more proactive than me, who is using his SU degree to post links about Benicio Del Toro slamming 19-year-olds in elevators and complaining about shit like the Yankees getting absolutely hosed Tuesday night, when Jorge Posada was so safe at home that Ray Charles could have made that call while being cracked in the head by Sammy Sosa's corked bat.

I try to keep this site politics-free — *cough* *cough* KERRY IN 2004! *cough* *cough* — but I wanted to lend some space to Joe to explain, in further detail, Fuel For Truth:

1. Write us a 30-second radio commercial for Fuel for Truth.
Fuel For Truth is a non-profit organization that supports Israel and strives to combat media bias and disseminate truth, and raise awareness, and hopes for a peaceful resolution. Our mission is not to impose political ideas or positions on its members but to inform. Too many Americans, both Jewish and non-Jewish, have no true knowledge of the history or events that have led up to the tragic crisis that exists in Israel today. Even worse, far too few of us are aware that there are things we can do as individuals now to work towards peace.

Our organization was founded in September 2001 by young people who come from various backgrounds such as: lawyers, sports agents, film producers, nightclub promoters and more. In a few short years, we have gone from 20 people to nearly 2000. The vast majority of Fuel For Truth and the people who run it are 18-34 years old. We are our target market.

2. Which media do you think is guilty of anti-Israel bias?
Any media that propagates a double standard in the war on terrorism can be considered anti-Israel. While it's fine that the world is hunting down Bin Laden, Israel is castigated for removing a top Hamas leader whose organization is determined to eradicate Israel, all Jews and threatened to attack America. The world must insist the media report on a single standard of judgment and criticism with regard to all nations. That way all information we receive can truly be "fair and balanced."

3. Why do think the U.S. is so closely tied to the Israeli-MIddle East conflict?
Israel, like America, is a democracy in an area that is threatened by the notion of freedom. In Israel, there are 1.2 million Arab Muslims that live in Israel proper — not the West bank or Gaza — who have more rights in Israel than any Arab country. In Israel, Arab women have the right to vote, there are Arab members and Arab political parties in Parliament . About two weeks ago an Israeli Arab was appointed to the Supreme Court in Israel. These pillars of democracy enrage Israel's neighbors because they themselves do not have basic freedoms. Israel, a close ally to the U.S., wants to grow and thrive peacefully but in order to do that they need support. Both the U.S. and Israel want to help the Palestinian people, but until they can be free of their corrupt leadership, the Palestinian people will continue to suffer. The U.S., being a world leader, should support countries like Israel and others that seek peace and try live a life of democracy and freedom for their people.

4. What can young Americans do to affect positive change in the area?
Learn basic facts about the situation. On our website we have "The Top 10 Facts You Need to Know. " There you can learn, in an easy language, basic facts about the conflict that are backed by plenty of sources of information. If we can understand the root of the issues then we can begin to question why there is still a problem instead of accusing a party.

There was a recent poll done by The Israel Project that said, "52% of Americans say they have a Jewish friend or coworker. 75% of them say their Jewish friend or coworker has not spoken to them in support of Israel." We believe if people knew the truth about Israel's war on terror, they would be more willing to speak up and we would be a better-informed culture. With so much information available these days — we get small doses by here on the web, TV, newspapers, etc. — that it's difficult to get the whole story. We need to get the facts.

5. Tell us about the events you organize in the NYC area and outside of the Big Apple.
On Thursday, May 20, Fuel For Truth is producing an event titled "Are You All Talk or Action?" at Crobar beginning at 7 p.m. Its free admission, open bar for one hour and free appetizers, music by top NYC DJs. RSVP to RSVP@FuelForTruth.org. Due to a tremendous response doors open at 6:45 p.m. There will be a brief presentation about the situation in Israel and the Middle East and what you can do here in the U.S. to be part of a peaceful resolution. Otherwise FFT visits college campuses with their "Old Skool" Campus Program such as Syracuse, SUNY Buffalo and Binghamton, spreading the truth.

6. What do you think of Syracuse University's decision to change their teams sports' nicknames from Orangemen and Orangewomen to The Orange?
Gotta love ya for this one Paul! Being a former athlete at SU on the wrestling team, which they recently cut from the sports program (the only school to have a 4-time national champion), I think it was the right thing to do. I can easily see why the original team name would have been offensive to some. Changes like that raise awareness among the majority.

Paul's Recap: Major thanks to Joe for letting us know about his organization, Fuel For Truth. Many people confuse me with being Jewish — my housekeeper wanted to hook me up with a client of hers, saying "she's really nice" (Great! A euphemism for butt-ugly) and "she's Jewish" (Who cares? I'm not! Big nose or not, I'm having that ham and cheese omelette) — but Jewish or non-Jewish, we should all strive for peace all around the globe. So much land ownership has been "won" during war that it's hard to avoid the chicken-and-egg question of who "started it." Let's leave this globe in a more peaceful shape then whence we arrived. Having just returned from a tour of Europe, where almost all history has been affected by war-inspired land-grabs, I can assure you our generation has more to be proud of than previous ones. (And maybe we can't absolve the U.S. from that, either. If the Native Americans want their land back, what can we say? Too late? Get your guns? Kill us first? It's so complicated.)

Other Observations: Only 52% of Americans have a Jewish friend or coworker? Clearly these people don't work in New York or L.A. Funny how it works from neighborhood to neighborhood. I played high school basketball my senior year and, when playing a mostly-Jewish school, our point guard labeled a play "Hitler." This was the kind of cheap fuck he was. Never in danger at home, because there was only one Jew in our school. (If you counted me and my brother for having a Jewish dad and a Catholic mom, there were two.) Never in danger on the court, because he wouldn't call that out unless the odds were 10-1 on his side. That's why, when I found out he'd gotten married, I thought, "Too bad she doesn't know what an asshole she committed her life to."

As for the Orangemen, I never thought any reasonable person could have ever made the connection between a Syracuse University national champion (whether it be football, basketball, lacrosse or wrestling. We rock!) and a member of the anti-Catholic Orange Order across the Atlantic. C'mon, when you see Carmelo cutting down the nets in New Orleans, do you also see Catholics running for the hills, or Bourbon Street, or Harrah's Casino? It was a marketing move, a confounding partnership with Nike and something that had better churn out some kick-ass apparel next football season. We only represented a color the whole time! It had nothing to do with fruit or politics or religion. Just color!