As of late, Bush and his right-wing cronies seem almost unstoppable. Protests go ignored. Evidence that his policies are misguided or worse, immoral, is buried by hollow, inflamatory rhetoric. Liberties are violated, long-standing policies are changed without notice, and religious fundamentalism is the rule of the land. People keep asking: "What the hell is going on?!?" but no one has any sense of how to stop it.
My instinct is that the recent elections and their subsequent "reinforcement" of Bush’s politics have left sound-minded Americans with a sinking feeling that the whole country has gone to pot. People are pissed off, but too depressed or hopeless to do anything about it. Well, friends, enough is enough.
We’re not rich or powerful or in the possession of a large number of firearms but I’m tired of being a spectator. After all, "there's as much risk in doing nothing as in doing something".
So, here’s my cheesey, pathetic attempt at change. I’m going to compile a list of things that may have some slim chance of waking up somebody somewhere and, in the very least, making them think seriously about how they’re going to vote in 2004. And here’s the great part – you’re going to help me!! Seriously: I will coerce you to action.
My *bright* ideas:
* Write an editorial/letter to the editor and send it to every paper you read.
* Check out the Nation’s Act Now! blog and send off firey letters about their cause of the day.
* Empty out your penny bank and give the proceeds to a progressive lobbying group or media campaign like Ariana Huffington’s Detroit Project.
* Go wave a placard around in front of businesses with offensive practices (I’ve unscientifically determined that this gets a better reaction than hanging out on the steps of the capital).
* Bitch about inaction in your blog since you can’t think of anything more effective to do.