12 things we can do in the coming weeks, months, and years

wildflower

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Wed Nov-03-04 11:46 AM
Original message

12 things we can do in the coming weeks, months, and years

Edited on Wed Nov-03-04 12:10 PM by wildflower

DUers,

Like many of you, I desperately want to just get out of this country. I just can't believe what's happened. My life, and those of many others, is on the line in so many ways.

But I finally came to the conclusion that it wouldn't be fair to the liberals still here; it would make for a harder and harder fight for them, the fewer their numbers got. I will stay as long as I can and do what I can.

So instead, I've come up with a list of things we can do. It's the only thing I can think of to do right now. (Please add to it if you think of other things.)

1. Cancel cable and *explain to your subscriber exactly why.* (Or throw out your TV.) Also contact those stations that are the reason you are canceling, and tell them why you canceled.

2. Boycott corporations, *especially* those who support this administration and those who own the RW media.

3. Write and call your congressman every day if necessary, when it comes to policies.

4. Write letters to foreign newspapers and explain that this is *not* what we wanted. It's often been said that up until this point, the world has been sympathetic to our plight, but that if Bush were elected fairly this time around, we would lose their goodwill.

5. Remember that there are still many ongoing investigations into this administration.

6. We know this administration has done and will do all in its power to dismantle important causes. So, if possible, "go over their heads" by going into a career or starting a business that advances
progressive causes.

7. Also go over their heads by donating to/volunteer for causes that matter, especially environmental and humanitarian ones, because we know these situations will only get worse.

Help the poor, disabled, homeless, elderly, abused children and wives, Planned Parenthood, the ACLU, GBLT causes, relief work (for those suffering in other countries), and the environment in any way you can (and spread the word).

8. Speak out loudly and often and nonviolently protest.

9. Help advance the creation of more liberal think tanks. As George Lakoff has said, the RW had 40 years to organize and reframe the language of the culture.

10. Help advance liberal media. The media is the way it is, so we have to create and promote our own. And as we've seen, there's definitely an appetite out there for it.

11. When it comes to Supreme Court appointeees, go into overdrive on
the speaking out and writing/calling. Not just calling your congressmen and the media - but talk to and distribute flyers to everyone you can about what's at stake, urging them to call their congressmen as well.

12. Distribute this list to as many people as you can. (Rewrite for clarity if necessary; I wrote it on the fly.)

EDITED TO ADD one from IrateCitizen:

"Continue to be involved or get involved in groups that are committed simply to getting people together to talk about issues -- like Democracy for America. Don't lose out on the grassroots momentum started by the Dean campaign."

Anything I forgot? Or other creative ideas?

-wildflower

P.S. And take time to talk, to grieve, with people who care as much as you do, like those here at DU.

P.P.S. And see the quote from Gandhi in my sig.

----
(Typing in my new sig line because it's not showing up right now:): )

"Whenever I despair, I remember that the way of truth and love has always won. There may be tyrants and murderers, and for a time, they may seem invincible, but in the end, they always fail. Think of it: always." - Gandhi

"Just one, one, one...So you begin...I begin. I picked up one person - maybe if I didn't pick up that person I wouldn't have picked up 42,000...Just begin...one, one, one." - Mother Theresa