…said the Mayor of Whoville to the shirker named JoJo who, instead of speaking out just played with his yo-yo.  But when he did lend his voice, that’s all it took. The whole world was saved by the smallest voice of all.

Horton Hears a Who is one of my all time favorite books.  When I awoke this morning and saw that today is Dr. Seuss’ birthday, I thought it was time to pull out that book again, as the lesson needs to be learned by everyone who isn’t making their voices heard.  I hope you’ll listen to today’s show, or pull out that dusty copy of Horton and read it again.  Or at the very least, just read these few verses:

Through the town rushed the mayor, from east to the west, but everyone seemed to be doing his best. Everyone seemed to be yapping or yipping. Everyone seemed to be beeping or bipping. But it wasn’t enough, all this ruckus and roar. He had to find someone to help him make more. He raced through each building, he searched floor to floor.

And just as he felt he was getting nowhere, and almost about to give up in despair, He suddenly burst through a door and that mayor, discovered one shirker – quite hidden away – in the Fairfax apartments, apartment 12 J.

A very, very small shirker named JoJo was standing – just standing, and bouncing a yo-yo. Not making a sound. Not a yip, not a chirp. And the mayor rushed inside and he grabbed the young twerp.

And he climbed with the lad up the Eiffelberg Tower.

“This,” cried the mayor, “is your town’s darkest hour! The time for all Whos who have blood that is red to come to the aid of their country,” he said.  “We’ve got to make noises in greater amounts, so open your mouth lad, for every voice counts!”

Thus he spoke as he climbed. When they got to the top, the lad cleared his throat and he shouted out, “YOP!”

And that “YOP,” that one small extra YOP put it over. Finally, at last, from that speck on the clover, their voices were heard. They rang out clear and clean. And the elephant smiled. “Do you see what I mean?”

“They’ve proved they are persons, no matter how small. And their whole world was saved by the smallest of all!”

Now is our time. Make your voice heard, no matter how small…

I try to do that every day on my show, today being no different.

On today’s show, I spoke with Cindy Paoletti, a woman who’s coming up on a year as a 99er! That means no job, no income, and no help. Something’s got to give!

Mike Elk is a labor journalist, whose latest piece on the war against the unions, “Like Scott Walker, Honeywell CEO has threatened to use troops to bust a union” joined in to tell us that the war isn’t limited to public employees unions.

Angelo Carusone, better known to tweeters everywhere as @StopBeck gave us an update on his new role at Media Matters where he heads up the Drop Fox campaign.

And, of course, I read Horton Hears a Who.  Now go make your voices heard.

PS If you want to play the who said it game (Beck, Kadaffi or Sheen), click here…