From the September 2006 Idaho Observer:

Dear citizens of the Evil Empire:

During a discussion about Palestine prior to the MZE conference this year, the discussion moderator announced, "I would like to hear some comments from the citizens of the evil empire sitting at the table." The comment was, we thought at the time, made in good humor. There were four of us—and we knew who we were. So did everyone else in the room. I opened my comments by stating that it was, indeed, humbling to be referred to as "a citizen of the evil empire."

Then I continued by stating that Americans’ collective view of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict has been carefully manufactured over time by the almost exclusively pro-Israel editorial policies of the U.S. print and broadcast media. The only reason I know what is really happening is because of my relationship to MZE and my Palestinian friends. I then suggested that we combine our counterpropaganda production experience and resources to develop and implement a campaign to alert the world with regard to the humanitarian crisis in Palestine.

For the rest of my life I will remember the day (August 31, 2006) I was first referred to as a "citizen of the evil empire."