About William O. Douglas: Liberty & Wilderness
Presented by: John Concillo, Film Producer and Writer
Liberty & Wilderness, weaves Justice
William O. Douglas’ life and writings in the context of wilderness and its
importance to the human condition; join us for a presentation, followed by a
short documentary screening and Q&A with Film Producer & Writer John
Concillo.
William O. Douglas was a beacon for the preservation of wild
places and individual freedom, by word and by example. These were parallel
rights to be defended without reservation. Douglas described the wilderness not
merely as an escape, but as a nurturing environment and source of strength, an
affirmation of independence that empowers individuals and offers spiritual and
physical salvation. He was a guardian against any boundary that restrained
liberty and any new control that threatened individual freedom. The answer to
society’s problems is more freedom, not less. This was the message he gave in
countless speeches to citizens, not just the legal and academic world. As a
sitting Supreme Court Justice, no one in the nation brought such a high profile
to these issues. His life stands as a record of courage to hold fast against
the forces that would exploit or erode these cherished American ideals.
Liberty & Wilderness is a production of the
Oregon Cultural Heritage Commission. http://www.ochcom.org/
About the Speaker:
John Concillo has lived in the Pacific Northwest since 1972.
He resided in Southwest Washington, near Mt Rainier where he worked in the
woods, hiked and camped in many of the same places that William O. Douglas
wrote about so eloquently. This formative time fostered a lifetime
interest in all places wild.
He worked in broadcast television programming and production in
Portland, Oregon for more than twenty-five years before leaving the
industry. As producer of a weekly news & public affairs program he
received numerous letters of commendation and appreciation from a cross-section
of political, community and cultural leaders.
John has developed media partnerships and produced programming for
scores of events and campaigns including the award winning Lewis & Clark
bicentennial.