Post by fruitbat on May 28, 2004 12:13:12 GMT -5
so this is motivated by a conversation i had with jeff a few weeks back. since we're both grad students, we are by definition 1) busy and 2) broke. therefore we are not the most likely candidates to be out actively advocating change in our society and body politic, as much as this definitely needs to be done *right now*. now, setting aside obvious chances for doing something like protesting the upcoming republican convention in new york (perhaps we can all hang out those dog days of august, eh?), what can we as broke-ass intellectuals do?
the easy response is to get involved. i give mad props to moveon.org for pulling this off on such a large scale in just a few years: organizing online petitions, massive emailings, hell, even local bake sales. so one way to do something is just to write a letter/sign a petition through them (and boy, are they active).
but in the spirit of DIY, we can just write letters/make quick calls, or do whatever *to get your message out*. as one, i quote the following from this morning's posts on agonist.org:
>Atrios: Outrage
>
>Here is what 'Newsanchor' Kelli Arena said this morning:
>
>"Neither John Kerry nor the president has said troops pulled out of Iraq >any time soon. But there is some speculation that al Qaeda believes it has >a better chance of winning in Iraq if John Kerry is in the White House."
>
>This is your media. Your media has already decided that a vote for Kerry is >a vote for al Qaeda and we haven't even had a debate yet. Are you going >to let this happen?
>
>Call CNN: Atlanta 404-827-1500 or NY 202-898-7900 or email Ms. Arena >at kelli.arena@turner.com .
>
>Folks if you don't make the calls or send the emails you media will >continue to abase itself.
>
>Do something.
personally, i haven't really been involved in any sort of interaction with politics, etc. for years. what we've been through with the current administration has been making me rethink that. an uninvolved populace gets the leadership it deserves, and that thought has spurred me to try to write more, just because it's the easiest (and cheapest) thing to do, and well, it's a start....
the easy response is to get involved. i give mad props to moveon.org for pulling this off on such a large scale in just a few years: organizing online petitions, massive emailings, hell, even local bake sales. so one way to do something is just to write a letter/sign a petition through them (and boy, are they active).
but in the spirit of DIY, we can just write letters/make quick calls, or do whatever *to get your message out*. as one, i quote the following from this morning's posts on agonist.org:
>Atrios: Outrage
>
>Here is what 'Newsanchor' Kelli Arena said this morning:
>
>"Neither John Kerry nor the president has said troops pulled out of Iraq >any time soon. But there is some speculation that al Qaeda believes it has >a better chance of winning in Iraq if John Kerry is in the White House."
>
>This is your media. Your media has already decided that a vote for Kerry is >a vote for al Qaeda and we haven't even had a debate yet. Are you going >to let this happen?
>
>Call CNN: Atlanta 404-827-1500 or NY 202-898-7900 or email Ms. Arena >at kelli.arena@turner.com .
>
>Folks if you don't make the calls or send the emails you media will >continue to abase itself.
>
>Do something.
personally, i haven't really been involved in any sort of interaction with politics, etc. for years. what we've been through with the current administration has been making me rethink that. an uninvolved populace gets the leadership it deserves, and that thought has spurred me to try to write more, just because it's the easiest (and cheapest) thing to do, and well, it's a start....