RUSH: Say, it’s Open Line Friday, and you stick-to-the-issues, folks, you may get upset with me here ’cause I’m gonna divert for just a second here to the Adventures of Rush Revere series. You have heard me talk about the interactivity that we are promoting and creating for our young readers of the three-book series on both the Rush Revere website and the Rush Revere Facebook page. I want you to bear with me here for just a second because this really is part of the issues.

What we’re trying to do — and it’s working, eventually we want to be able to show you how this is working. We are reaching the youth of America with the truth of this country and getting them involved. They’re not just reading about it and learning about it. They are beginning to live it. And I’m telling you, it is one of the most rewarding things that has happened to me. Now, when we started out this series we realized there was a real void of quality, true American history books for young people.

We didn’t start this just to sell books. We created these characters and everything to do with the book series in order to inspire the young people of this country, young generations, teach them that American history can be fun and that it’s exceptional in every way. And we didn’t just put a picture book together. We said, “How can we make young Americans feel they were there, they were part of it?” How can we make them actually live, relive these amazing events like Paul Revere’s ride or the Pilgrims arriving, so they can not only memorize the names but really experience and understand the values of our country today. That’s the mission here. It was always to engage the young readers in creative ways.

We recently ran several challenges at the Rush Revere website, and we required that all the entries be submitted by November 30th, and I am telling you, these entries are over the top. They’re videos. We required and asked them to submit their videos. One of the challenges, we wanted 30-second videos of kids reading part of the Constitution, the part that really mattered to them, that they really liked. We told them there would be more points for creativity and passion. And I am telling you, what these short videos give me, when I looked at these things, Kathryn and I sat down and looked at ’em, I’m telling you, they give you hope.

People ask me, “How do you stay optimistic?” This is one of the ways that it works for me. Now, there are millions of young, exceptional Americans out there, tremendous parents that want them to engage in these types of challenges. So Kathryn and I, we have a panel of judges. We’re gonna have a really tough time selecting the winners.

Now, just so you know what we’re dealing with here, we’re gonna post a few video samples of what we have asked these kids to submit to the Rush Revere Facebook page and at www.RushRevere.com under “featured video.” It’s specifically for the Adventures of Rush Revere series and it’s where we showcase the artwork and the photos and the letters that these people are sending us, the readers, the kids and their parents and their grandparents as well.

And I have to tell you something. Kathryn has been working tirelessly around the clock on this whole thing, concept, co-writing, leading the team, design concepts, everything, and this is just — the videos — I wish you could see them all. But we’re gonna post a couple just so that you know what’s being submitted for prizes. There are actually prizes that are gonna be awarded and so forth. A bunch of different categories, too.

We’ve got one of them up now if you have time to go look at it at the Rush Revere Facebook page or RushRevere.com. You’ll see just one example. We’re gonna be posting more and more so that you know the kind of stuff that is coming in to us. It will lift your spirits, I guarantee you.