Wednesday, June 21, 2006
Starting Point - Community Action Group:
Starting Point – Community Action Group:
Phillip T. Alden
June 21, 2006
Preface: We all see our country going in directions we find alarming, to say the least, and we get frustrated when we see things like failure to pass a rise in the minimum wage or drug prices raised simply to increase profits. We read each other’s blogs and wonder what we can do to stop this slide, to make a difference.
In that spirit I propose some answers as long as I’m pointing out the problems:
We all want to write letters to our elected representatives but we feel our individual voices will just be ignored, that our efforts will be a waste of time and energy.
There are all kinds of groups that influence politics, usually people with a specific axe to grind, a single issue (that may have many facets) they wish to address. I call this Selfish Politics and define it as “engaging in the democracy only to serve our selfish personal ends.”
What I propose is a group of like-minded people who hold Democratic ideals, not focused on a specific issue, but flexible enough to respond to issues of equality and justice as they come up. I call it a Community Action Group, or CAG. If the name or variant thereof is being used by someone it doesn’t really matter. We can use CAG as a generic term and form a specific name for our group.
Our CAG would have a few writers who follow the news and politics, and write response letters when an issue of social justice comes up. We write letters to our political leaders, telling them to divorce themselves from companies like Choice Point and demand they use a voting system that cannot be manipulated by people looking to subvert our electoral process – as an example.
At the bottom of every letter we have a statement from our CAG saying what we are about, and that as a group we connect with others to bring these issues into the light.
We post the letter to a web log and send copies to all members. Those members copy and paste the name and address of their local representatives at the state and federal level, (as applicable,) to the letters, print and sign them, then mail them.
A written letter that is signed carries more weight than a form letter or an email, and post is treated much differently by political entities.
Each letter carries weight, and group affiliation speaks to consensus and discourse. We speak as one for social and economic justice for all Americans. We have no axe to grind per se, but focus on all issues that effect our fellow citizens.
It is the opposite of Selfish Politics.
For greater effect each member would forward the letter to friends and family who also care about democratic ideals and the future of our country, adding their voices to ours. We have no offices, no leaders to distract from the issues, no egos or personal agendas.
But as a member we make one Promise. As long as we are active members we promise to post all letters with which we agree. We do not decide to “blow this one off” because we are tired. We do not take our commitment to democratic ideals and social justice lightly. We do our part even when we do not feel like it because it’s the right thing to do. We do not shirk from our duty to our fellow citizens.
We Promise to stand up for Democracy and Social and Economic Justice Together.
How’s that for an idea for positive change?
Starting Point – Community Action Group:
Phillip T. Alden
June 21, 2006
Preface: We all see our country going in directions we find alarming, to say the least, and we get frustrated when we see things like failure to pass a rise in the minimum wage or drug prices raised simply to increase profits. We read each other’s blogs and wonder what we can do to stop this slide, to make a difference.
In that spirit I propose some answers as long as I’m pointing out the problems:
We all want to write letters to our elected representatives but we feel our individual voices will just be ignored, that our efforts will be a waste of time and energy.
There are all kinds of groups that influence politics, usually people with a specific axe to grind, a single issue (that may have many facets) they wish to address. I call this Selfish Politics and define it as “engaging in the democracy only to serve our selfish personal ends.”
What I propose is a group of like-minded people who hold Democratic ideals, not focused on a specific issue, but flexible enough to respond to issues of equality and justice as they come up. I call it a Community Action Group, or CAG. If the name or variant thereof is being used by someone it doesn’t really matter. We can use CAG as a generic term and form a specific name for our group.
Our CAG would have a few writers who follow the news and politics, and write response letters when an issue of social justice comes up. We write letters to our political leaders, telling them to divorce themselves from companies like Choice Point and demand they use a voting system that cannot be manipulated by people looking to subvert our electoral process – as an example.
At the bottom of every letter we have a statement from our CAG saying what we are about, and that as a group we connect with others to bring these issues into the light.
We post the letter to a web log and send copies to all members. Those members copy and paste the name and address of their local representatives at the state and federal level, (as applicable,) to the letters, print and sign them, then mail them.
A written letter that is signed carries more weight than a form letter or an email, and post is treated much differently by political entities.
Each letter carries weight, and group affiliation speaks to consensus and discourse. We speak as one for social and economic justice for all Americans. We have no axe to grind per se, but focus on all issues that effect our fellow citizens.
It is the opposite of Selfish Politics.
For greater effect each member would forward the letter to friends and family who also care about democratic ideals and the future of our country, adding their voices to ours. We have no offices, no leaders to distract from the issues, no egos or personal agendas.
But as a member we make one Promise. As long as we are active members we promise to post all letters with which we agree. We do not decide to “blow this one off” because we are tired. We do not take our commitment to democratic ideals and social justice lightly. We do our part even when we do not feel like it because it’s the right thing to do. We do not shirk from our duty to our fellow citizens.
We Promise to stand up for Democracy and Social and Economic Justice Together.
How’s that for an idea for positive change?
# posted by Phillip T. Alden @ 7:07 PM 
