Easy ways to be an activist. Suggestions anyone?

[brainshrub]

I'm giving a talk tomorrow on "Easy Ways to Create Social Change." I've already written and rehearsed the speech, but I was wondering if DUers have any other ideas I might have forgotten to include.

Some of the examples I'm using:

- Refuse to shop at Wal-Mart.
- An "affinity" credit-card that donates money to causes you care about.
- Vote
- Attend at least one town-hall meeting a year.
- Bumper-stickers, rubber bracelets & such.
- Visit DU! :)

Americans are busy people. many people believe that activism is for young people or folks who have a lot of spare time. I'm listing different ways for people to be active without sacrificing their other commitments.

Here is a description of the talk:

"You know this country is in grave danger with another four years of President Bush. But what can you do to fight back when you have so many other obligations?

Quite a bit, actually.

This lecture will teach you simple ways to create maximum social change with minimal effort.

If civics were still taught in schools, this is what you would have learned years ago."

...

Do you have anything to add?

ON EDIT: Writing letters, emailing and calling legislators will be covered.

[porphyrian]

1. Protest something. - n/t

[brainshrub]

4. Nope, protesting requires you to take a whole afternoon.

I'm looking for things that are:

1) Fun.* (Such as attending a benefit concert.)

2) Can be incorporated into your life. (Such as buying eco-friendly products)



*I find peaceful protests fun, but most people who have never attended a protest consider it a stretch.

[porphyrian]

5. Get really high and protest something.

Then you won't care as much.

[Not_Giving_Up]

2. Write letters!

Convince others to write too! Consider the Boxer Revolution!

[brainshrub]

7. I was thinking of handing out pre-stamped & addressed 3x5 index cards.

And telling everyone to write one quick thing they would like to say to their congressperson.

Perhaps I should do this at the start of the lecture?

[benburch]

3. Donate to White Rose!

http://www.WhiteRoseSociety.org/Donate.html

;)

[brainshrub]

6. Yes. In fact, I will be sure to mention your site specifically.

Aside from the fact that your site IS a worthy cause, you do have the right idea: A small donation is easy to do and means a lot to the person producing the site.

[prairierose]

8. Write letters to Congress people...

join
http://progressivesecretary.org

They make it easy to let your Congress people know how you feel on a variety of subjects. Some letters are also sent to others.

They make it easy. Occasionally, you will receive an email with the text of a letter. You can read it and decide whether you want to send it in your name. If you want it sent under your name, you click a hotlink at the top of the letter. If you don't want it sent, ignore it or delete it.

Take a look around the site and read some of the letters that have gone out from members in the last several months. You can also make suggestions for letters and topics.

[Imalittleteapot]

9. Call or write your reps in Congress and do

it often. Get your friends to do the same.
go to www.congress.org - type in your zipcode and you will be directed to your Senators and Representatives.

Your postcard idea is great.

[texastoast]

10. Use the computer

1. to get connected with the issues one cares about. Most have an activist alerts email option. Select that to receive updates and options to send email and faxes to congresspeople and other affected bureaucrats. (Of course, a quick, hand-written letter gets a lot of attention by the aides in Congress.)

2. to get connected to blogs and other issue-driven websites to keep up on events.

3. get connected with like-minded friends (I mean your real buds who won't get pissed when you send them four activist emails a day) who are interested in taking action as well and who can further network with people they know.

Show up at town hall meetings and public hearings when possible and communicate with like-minded neighbors who might attend when you can't.

[brainshrub]

11. I was going to talk about RSS feeds.

RSS is so much better than activist emails. In fact, I stopped giving out my emails at meetings because I got sick of the "newsletter e-mail" format.

Activists are notorious spammers, after a while you start to ignore them.

RSS feeds make the information a lot more manageable.

[Ariana Celeste]

12. Educate their children?

Unless of course you are directing this towards young people as well- but, I think that could be a fun and easy activity.

[brainshrub]

13. Ooohhh... I hadn't thought of that.

Yeah! Educating your children is something people naturally do, so that would work just fine.

On the other hand, I don't have any kids. So I don't know if I could talk with any authority on the subject of educating children.

[Ariana Celeste]

14. Neither could I, lol...

however, every parent has their own way of teaching their children, there is no one way to do it... so it could just be something to add to the list, and allow the parents to decide how they want to do it- I certainly wouldn't want to tell a parent how to educate their child LOL. Maybe just an item to suggest, and then move on to the next?

:-)


On edit: I think it's really cool that you are doing this!! :D

[Proud2BAmurkin]

15. Cancel your cable TV and write the company

Tell them it's because of FOX NEWS

[brainshrub]

16. Oooohhhhhh!

I like that one!

[brainshrub]

17. Least-minute kick.

I'm making the final touches. I give the talk in a few hours.

Any last-minute suggestions?