Reclaim democracy, vote by vote

OUR INACTION IS ALLOWING THIS TO HAPPEN ? ? ? ? ? ? (0.00 / 0)

Barbara wrote:

Our inaction is allowing Bush and Cheney, and trickling down to Governor Douglas and our Legislature, to enrich corporations that are financial supporters of the Republican Party.

This sounds like a rallying cry! A call to arms.  What action would you have us take??? 

We have contacted our representative officials in Washington D.C. until we are blue in the face.  Oftentimes they ignore us, as John Kerry did when he voted for the war in opposition to his constituency. 

I have sat in meeting after meeting with activists who correctly identify the problem, but come up with precious few tangible tasks to address this challenge. 

WE NEED SPECIFICS AS TO WHAT  ACTIONS, WE CAN TAKE

We've written letters to the editors.  We've attended meetings. We've signed petitions.  We've marched and picketed. We've tabled and flyered.  People leave meetings and discussion groups angry and frustrated because they are given nothing tangible to do. 

Until a galvanizing event occurs, something that literally sends people into the streets as happened in the late 1960's and early 1970's, there is not much else that can be done.

What could this galvanizing event be?  Civil War in Iraq?

Another terrorist attack inside the United States? 

Higher Prices at Wal-Mart? 

I have no idea but the usual political activism activities seem to be having little impact.

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by: Andrew_Bennington_VT @ Sat Feb 25, 2006 at 21:55:39 PM UTC

City by city...... (0.00 / 0)

town by town, meeting by meeting, special election by special election:
IMPEACH.
Let the impeachment movement here become news in itself. Bring the resolutions forth. EVERYWHERE. Make it a goal to get resolutions caling for the impeachment of Bush before as many municipal councils as possible. Newfane alone made the national wires. What happens if more towns begin to jump on the bus?
There's common ground there. Look at Buckley's latest piece...there are more examples.

Magic 95.5 LIVE!(800)296-9267 Defending Rosemarie

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by: Ed Garcia @ Sun Feb 26, 2006 at 02:51:37 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Impeach Federally, Retire Locally (0.00 / 0)

Andy, I've been to most of the same meetings, and I agree, to a point.  Our standard of living has been falling at the statewide level, and Vermont business leaders are finally waking up to the fact that Bush policies are hurting their sales to foreign countries. 

Impeaching Bush and Cheney is not enough -- we also need to replace candidates in Vermont who are 'pro-business' (to the exclusion of their constituents needs.) 

Soft-spoken Vermont Speaker of the House Gaye Symington was so frustrated with the Governor the other day over health care she said the only way to make the progress the people voted for two years ago was to replace him. She's right!

We need to retire Jim Douglas and replace him with Scudder Parker, who will work with the legislature on health care.  Dubie needs to go, too.  He's a parrot for Bush policies, as is Martha Rainville, when it comes to deficit spending.  We need to stop this perpetual, pre-emptive war machine in it's tracks.

We can, and we have to.  If the people lead by educating themselves to vote in their own self interest, instead of allowing wedge issues to dictate their votes, the leaders will follow.

Barbara

 

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by: vtpeace @ Sun Feb 26, 2006 at 19:09:12 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

THOSE ON THE SIDELINES (0.00 / 0)

I didn't want to give the impression, Barb, that I am giving up because I am not.  However, and I'm sure you can relate to this, the older I get, the high energy level that I have always relied on in my younger days to help me do things I need to do, wanes.  Thus, I want to make sure that whatever I can do, is as effective as can be as my energies are no longer in infinite supply as they were when I protested against the Vietnam war. None of us has a lot of time here to spin our wheels as we were want to do in our younger years.

So, in that context, I only ask that we all re-examine what we are doing on a periodic basis so that we can be as effective as possible. 

In your comments immediately above, you outline all the problems (once again) that I am all too well aware of:

jobs, declining incomes, increasing health care costs, etc. gap between the rich and poor.........

My point is that continuing to recite the list of these challenges does little to energize people and activate people that are not already activated until it hits home to them. 

Remember that book, the "Greening of America"?  My question is the same that was examined in that book albeit at a different time - long ago. 

WHAT CAN WE DO TO ACTIVATE PEOPLE ("green" people) who are not now ACTIVE? 

ARE OUR USUAL ACTIVITIES EFFECTIVE?  CAN OR SHOULD WE BE DOING SOMETHING ELSE? IN addition to? or Instead of? 

A self-assessment is what I am after. 

When we stand at the Four Corners intersection in the center of Bennington with signs, we receive many thumbs up signs and tooting horns from passersby. 

MY question is simply:  What will make them park their car and get out of it and stand on the corner with us? 

SPECTATORS MUST BECOME PARTICIPANTS

Until the spectators become participants, those who are currently fighting the battle will burn out.  We need new blood and fresh troops!

As I wrote to Rosemarie Jackowski recently, I was listening to an interview with Cindy Sheehan that was done by Alternative Radio this past December.  It was a lengthy interview and Sheehan was asked all kinds of questions about the peace movement. 

I thought her answers were very insightful.  When asked what the biggest deficiency of the peace movement was based on her experience, her answer was simply that there are too many separate groups acting independently with no coordination between or among themselves. 

A NEW PARADIGM IS NEEDED NOW

A few years back when Howard Dean ran for President, there was a flourishing of Progressive 527's.  For the past few years, the strategy seems to have been, let the 527's flourish which is great! They have!  There are a lot of Progressive organizations one can belong to now. 

COORDINATING ACTIVITIES OF 527's & other Groups is necessary if we are going to make any progress.

Peace activists won't join in with the Democrats because they see the Dems as part of the problem.  Greens wont join with Dems because the Dems are too center instead of left. AND ON AND ON. . . . .

Until these disparate groups present a united front and start working together, the efforts in so many un-unified ways are diluted.

Cindy Sheehan's interview is available at AlternativeRadio.org

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by: Andrew_Bennington_VT @ Mon Feb 27, 2006 at 16:34:35 PM UTC