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Most of us being political and current events junkies, at least in comparison to many of our neighbors, we often forget that there isn't a huge group of people engaged in such discussions. Sure casual conversations take place at the water cooler and in places like this forum, one might think that everyone is taking about this or that, just as we are.
With the internet we now have an ability and ease at which to progress our opinions and views like never before in human history. At our very finger tips, in a few seconds, we can reach out to countless people, even if we don't. However because of this ease, it is easy to get ones voice drowned out in a sea of opinion and it often seems as though we are smaller and more ineffectual each day.
So if you are engaged, how do you get your opinions and thoughts across and how engaged are you? Do you write folks, blog, attend protest, or go to meetings and join groups of like minded people? Do you even vote, or just chat in political forums? Ever spoken at a rally or with your Congressman? Attend city meetings or write the media?
I always feel I can do more, but like others, there are life's other things to attend to, like keeping food on the table and a roof over our heads. So I personally do spend a bit of time writing my representatives at least every other month, sometimes more. I do attend the occasional political party meeting and have attended a county meeting or two. Being I write a great deal, I also blog and write a fair number of articles and submit them to a variety of media outlets depending upon content. Its not that hard and doesn't take that much time and in fact, once a person has an email list, its a matter of clicking a button or two.
Wow! I got all six! Even though I'm not the most active person around. I do feel like there's lots more that I can do.
At the MLK Banquet in 2003 I told my Senator (Crapo) to keep us out of Iraq, because the case for war was fraudulent. I don't think he listened to me. Most of my phone calls and letters to representatives seem to have had a similar impact. I feel like that's one of the least effective means of working for change. Perhaps it would be different if I had anything but far-right representation (city, state, and country).
Wow! I got all six! Even though I'm not the most active person around. I do feel like there's lots more that I can do.
At the MLK Banquet in 2003 I told my Senator (Crapo) to keep us out of Iraq, because the case for war was fraudulent. I don't think he listened to me. Most of my phone calls and letters to representatives seem to have had a similar impact. I feel like that's one of the least effective means of working for change. Perhaps it would be different if I had anything but far-right representation (city, state, and country).
Funny. Same thing happens over the border here in Washington -- except that all of our political maggots are far-lefties...
So the answer appears to be that many of us have zero impact, depending on our demographic placement and political philosophy.
Well through letters/emails I have written, which are a lot now, I have managed to speak with my Congressman more than once on the phone as he called me. Now I have never heard a peep from my Senators or Governor but never really had any expectations of it. However, I do know that with so few people actually engaged and or writing respectful and engaging letters, that mine do get read, at least by my Congressman. It may not be much, but it is something and something is always better than nothing.
I write a lot of articles to which about 20% ever get published in local or state papers but a few have stirred a bit of discussion and even garnished me more than one death threat, to which I can only chuckle at.
The local county/city meetings to which I have attended were quite subdued and mellow as well as following a fairly formal format. While my area of the state is a sea of Republican voters, the county I reside in is generally purple and split pretty evenly, although most Democrats here are rather conservative. Being a small quiet town in a small quiet area just doesn't lend itself to big city style shouting matches that seem to be more frequent in larger metro areas.
I've worked on political campaigns, right down to knocking on people's doors and asking them what was important to them. I've helped organized rallies. I've appeared in two commercials. I write, write and write. Most of my letters get a letter back. It may not be what I want, but I think there is a formula to getting responded to. I've visited the state legislature. I go to the city council meetings on occasion, but the city planning meetings are a special treat. The bickering and arguments that go on are much better than television. I write letters to the newspaper every once in a while, but I don't have that down as much as Hilltopper. I also talk. I know I've had an impact, because I get feedback. I may live in hard-core conservative Baptist preacher land, but people here do care, and do listen, and do respond. It's all good!
Ah... nothing like pressing the flesh during a campaign to lock in that political junkie freshness!
I did get an opportunity to debate (albeit briefly) Max Boot, the Neoconservative guard dog, on CSPAN. I still laugh when I asked about the implications of the PNAC's visions and goals to which the reply was... "oh that is just silly", and thanks to the moderator there, they posted the PNAC website on live TV, so I felt vindicated seeing Max get red faced.
I have learned that more often that not, to get an opinion piece published in a paper, you have to offer up some gush. Dry facts will get you no where and if you don't appeal to peoples emotions, then I guess they don't feel it worthy to print. Wish it wasn't that way but that's how it seems to be.
Ah... nothing like pressing the flesh during a campaign to lock in that political junkie freshness!
I did get an opportunity to debate (albeit briefly) Max Boot, the Neoconservative guard dog, on CSPAN. I still laugh when I asked about the implications of the PNAC's visions and goals to which the reply was... "oh that is just silly", and thanks to the moderator there, they posted the PNAC website on live TV, so I felt vindicated seeing Max get red faced.
I have learned that more often that not, to get an opinion piece published in a paper, you have to offer up some gush. Dry facts will get you no where and if you don't appeal to peoples emotions, then I guess they don't feel it worthy to print. Wish it wasn't that way but that's how it seems to be.
I'm a hopeless debater. I get tangled up in facts (as if you couldn't have guessed that). And the campaigning work is fun, even when you get screamed at for leaving flyers inside screen doors or on windshields. And people, don't answer your door in your underwear, no robe or anything, and invite campaign workers into your house. When they refuse, it's not meant to be an insult. But meeting people and talking about the issues, it's not just a one-way street. It's not just about getting my ideas across to them, but about learning from them. Most people don't just mindlessly ascribe to various positions, they have valid reasons for thinking what they do. And to me, that's why it is so important to have candidates out there pressing flesh, not so they can promote their agendas and policies, but so they can learn how those policies affect people in real life.
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