Orato.com's Top 50 Stories Of 2007

1) I Was Married to The DC Sniper: This story, from Mildred Muhammad, the wife of the notorious DC Sniper John Muhammad, is exactly what I was hoping for when we launched this site: a powerful, meaningful, authentic account of what it's like to live the events that the rest of us only watch on TV. This story completely validates the idea of citizen news.

For Mildred Muhammad, the threat posed by John Muhammad was anything but random or anonymous. When he took her aside and told her, “You have become my enemy, and as my enemy I will kill you”, it chilled my blood. It took real courage to protect herself and her children in the face of this threat, especially when no one would believe the unthinkable - that John Muhammad was as mad and dangerous as a man could be. If you read one story on this site...read this one!

2) Michelle Manhart: Kicked Out of the Air Force for Posing Nude in Playboy: This story was a blip on the mainstream news radar for a while, as it boasted a few tasty elements that fire up the tabloid temperament...a beautiful nude woman, the US military and Playboy. Bingo! But it is also a story of injustice and courage - courage that is different than Mildred Muhammad's. Michelle Manhart is a soldier who can fight in my army any time: feisty, strong, brave, and not afraid to take on anyone in her own personal war.