Ralph Nader Documentary An Unreasonable Man on PBS December 18

It's the kind of story a lot of Americans like. Shadowy figures follow a solitary man around, as he fights to expose a huge corporation placing customers at unnecessary risk of their lives. One of the points that An Unreasonable Man makes is that we have almost lost perspective on Ralph Nader's legacy, the risks that he took and the battles that he won.

He is thoughtful, intense, and quietly passionate. There are so many things we take for granted now which were children of his passion, such as seat belts, air bags, health protection, the Freedom of Information Act used by reporters and citizens on a daily basis to examine their government, and more. Even the very principles of consumer rights and public safety seem to stem from his actions. It is said that he has a legislative record that any president would be proud of, without ever being elected. Yet, when he ran for office, he found many doors barred.

As part of ITVS' Community Campaign "Vote Democracy" to encourage young voters, PBS is showing the film "An Unreasonable Man" on December 18. America is struggling once again to choose between Democrat and Republican, and after watching the film viewers will have a different perspective on why it's an either / or choice - or even whether it really is their choice.

The film covers the span of Nader's career (so far), beginning with fresh out of Harvard Law and gathering fellow Ivy League students to put their youthful energy and brilliance into fighting for social change in Washington. By the end of the film he is estranged from the organization he founded, reviled by Democrats who blame him for not abandoning decades of fighting spirit and handing them the 2000 presidential race, and even seen by some as irrelevant, though our modern society is permeated with the results of his principles in action. A story about his mother holding Senator Prescott Bush's feet to the fire (grandfather of the current president) over a local dam in Connecticut shows his heritage.