Holding the line

[freemonkey]

Thanks for the reminder to take a positive action, LS.

Anyone know which group would be most likely to challenge this election's results?

[LadyShea]

Originally Posted by freemonkey

Thanks for the reminder to take a positive action, LS.

Anyone know which group would be most likely to challenge this election's results?

It's already being done, but the Democratic party, ACLU, and MoveOn would be good IMMEDIATE starts.

[wildernesse]

I'm planning on the usual bombardment of letters/emails to my reps--although I'll have to focus more on the state level now, since GA's state assembly seems to be overwhelmingly Republican. This endangers abortion rights especially, since the Dems pretty much kept that issue off the floor while they were in control. As well as our own special set of faith-based initiatives.

I've been thinking about what more I could do--action-wise, besides the letters. I'll keep my eyes open for opportunities to be heard. Perhaps we'll be able to donate $ to the groups we are already involved with.

Maybe there needs to be some type of concerted effort--weekly meetings and action by those who want there to be change. I think there will need to be a lot more work in the trenches--boring, thankless work--that might pull in people who are not otherwise working on this. I don't know. Maybe there aren't enough of us to matter in the long run, but I really don't know what to do.

Arrggh.

[viscousmemories]

I'm with you, LadyShea. I've avoided politics most of my life because I had no faith in the American people. In fact I used to justify my inaction by saying, "My views make me a minority in a country ruled by the majority. I don't speak up because nobody will hear it."

However I've come to believe that isn't true. People hear, you just have to chisel through years of exposure to misinformation and ignorance to get them to. Hey, once upon a time a majority of Americans favored keeping slaves and not letting women vote. We didn't get where we are today because reasonable opponents to that type of thinking fled to Canada. Optimism doesn't really suit me, but I'm gonna stick around and try to make a difference.

[dave_a]

I am a fan of LTEs, or letters to the edittor of newspapers.

Surprisingly it appears a lot of people read them.

MAP (Media Awareness Project) has instructions on how to write them effectively as well as links to web submission forms to many papers and directories to papers lacking a web submission form.

I have found that it helps to actually read the paper as many will publish LTEs related to recent stories they ran.

LTEs are a decent way to express your views in a one sided fashion, that is, there is no debate unless the paper runs an opposing view. Short, pithy, level headed and you stand a good chance of getting published.

I wrote a pro pot one approaching from the libertarian angle of personal choice and it got published in a conservative, small town paper which surprised me. It was the first LTE I wrote around 3 years ago. In it I got to dispell some myths being perpetuated by a nurse who wrote an article on the dangers of pot like she was some kind of authority.

Pick your issue, settle on the argument you consider most likely to be considered by the paper's circulation and write it. Most LTEs need to be 300 words or less so the average poster here should have no difficulty with it.

[viscousmemories]

Originally Posted by dantonac

I am a fan of LTEs, or letters to the edittor of newspapers.

When I was 13 I wrote a letter to the editor of the Ann Arbor News to express outrage at the students being branded as "troubled youths" in an article about the school for juvenile delinquents I was enrolled in. Ironically my objection was not to the other students being so branded - I actually agreed with that assessment of them - but with the fact that by implication, they were talking about me.

The blurb was published and the teachers at the school hung it on the wall to showcase my defense of the place. Although I do think it was a good thing to give a voice to some kids who wouldn't otherwise have one, I feel ashamed in retrospect knowing that I was just being a little sanctimonious prick.

[freemonkey]

Perhaps we should try to start an organization dedicated to teaching people to think (forgive me, I'm having a brain fart regarding the correct term) rationally.

[wildernesse]

Ooh, Datonac. LTE. Me likey. After reading the mindless piffle that appears in the local LTEs at times, I'm pretty sure I could pull that off. I can even write thoughtful piffle, when the mood strikes.

And the local family is used to RA's liberal LTE's, so I shouldn't even have to worry about confrontation!

Thanks for the reminder.

[viscousmemories]

Originally Posted by freemonkey

Perhaps we should try to start an organization dedicated to teaching people to think (forgive me, I'm having a brain fart regarding the correct term) rationally.

Was that intentionally ironic?

Did you mean think critically?

[freemonkey]

Originally Posted by viscousmemories

Was that intentionally ironic?

Did you mean think critically?

That's the word, thank you. Not intentionally ironic, I forget words sometimes. It happens when you start getting old. Go ahead, laugh, you'll find out.

[Goliath]

Sorry, Shea, but I've given up on this country. I honestly believe that this country's best days have already passed. The only reason why I'm still here is because of my job. If I can someday land a tenure-track academic position in a Mathematics department in a university outside the US, then I'll be more than happy to leave this country and never look back.