Cry, the beloved country

September 29, 2005 8:43 PM

The America I believe in is broken. What are the most effective things I can do to help fix it?

I have limited money, no influential friends, and pretty crappy interpersonal/social skills. So what's the best way to use my modest resources to help improve education, keep religion out of government, protect the environment, reduce our dependence on oil, etc?

Writing to congressional reps: got that covered. But is a paper letter more effective than email, or less?
Financial donations: where would I get the most bang for my buck? Donate to a political party, to a PAC, a lobby, a campaign fund?
Volunteering my time: with crappy social skills and no charisma I'd probably be best in a behind-the-scenes position, but where?

There's a zillion things that need to be done, so how to choose? I also have a life-sucking commute (by train and bike, FYI) so I'd like to maximize the impact for the time and energy required.

I'm not ready to give up on America but there are so many problems it's overwhelming. Please help me decide where my "power of one" would be most effective.

posted by Quietgal to law & government (32 comments total)

You cannot do anything to change politics except vote, so don't mess with it. The left is as corrupt as the right, and the middle is powerless. Think outside of politics; find a cause or charity and volunteer.
posted by mischief at 8:49 PM on September 29, 2005

I'd say run in some kind of local political election. Start from the ground up. The only way that the American political scene will change is from the bottom up.

I would think that a paper letter to a rep would do more than an email. But ya know, an email is so simple, just do both. Course, I'd expect both to go no farther than an intern, but they'll report the gist of it if there's enough similiar letters from constituents.
posted by Atreides at 8:55 PM on September 29, 2005

It depends upon your skill set and willingness to make sacrifices. What do you do for a living? Does your occupation help you generate skills that would be useful for a grassroots campaign?

On a different note, if your interested in educational policy, can you join your local school board? If your interested in keeping Wal-Mart out of your town, can you join your Chamber of Commerce? Participation is key to moving people. Money is a factor, but quite frankly, I'd rather have a million devoted people to back my cause than a million dollars. Generating interest is the hardest thing you can do, but also the most useful when trying to institute change.

Finally, don't go into any organization expecting change, an epiphany, or instant gratification. Organizing people and changing minds is oftentimes impossibly difficult. Don't get down on yourself if things aren't going right. Don't give up. People spend their entire lives seeking change; you only hear about the winners (MLK, Gandhi, Mandela).
posted by SeizeTheDay at 9:00 PM on September 29, 2005

You cannot do anything to change politics except vote, so don't mess with it.

Actually, most offices take a vote tally of how many constituents wrote in on a particular issue. They are aware of how an interest group can sway the numbers, but regardless, the number of people writing in matters. How eloquently you express yourself matters less than whether you are pro or con, usually. Put your name, address and telephone number on any correspondence. Faxes and emails are preferred, especially after the anthrax bit a few years ago.
posted by caddis at 9:07 PM on September 29, 2005

Seeing that you're a fellow San Franciscan, perhaps you might be interested in indybay.org? If nothing else they may be able to lead you to something. Seeing that you're (like me) a public transit/biker, perhaps the SF Bike Coalition might be up your alley. Like the cheeseball old saying, think globally, act locally.

Oh. Maybe you could email the people at sfist.com, they might have suggestions.
posted by atom128 at 9:08 PM on September 29, 2005

But is a paper letter more effective than email, or less?

More. Short answer: this sort of communication is more effective the more it demonstrates that you give a damn.

But you're in San Francisco. Boxer and Feinstein are probably on-board anyway, and I wouldn't be surprised if your Representative was too. So this might be, realistically, a waste of time in the sense that you're urging people to do what they were probably going to do anyway.

where would I get the most bang for my buck?

Given what you've said, you basically want your $few to go to some Democrat in a close race, somewhere.

I'd look around and see if I could find a PAC who seemed to be cool and give to them, and let them worry about the strategic aspects. Maybe they'll send it to some candidate, maybe they'll put it into a seed-money fund to use for further fundraising. Check out Emily's List as a start.

I'd probably be best in a behind-the-scenes position, but where?

You can always stuff envelopes. Call the local Dems and see if they can set you up with more national or regional concerns. If they're at all smart, they ought to be willing to let you drop by once a week, grab a bunch of stuff, and stuff the envelopes at home. Or talk to whichever PAC you like and see about stuffing envelopes for them.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 9:24 PM on September 29, 2005

A couple suggestions:

(1) Join the Democratic Party and get involved as a volunteer in the 2006 Congressional elections.

I've done some volunteering for the Liberal Party up here in Canada; they've got a pretty good get-out-the-vote organization, and there's lots of work that doesn't involve meeting people (data entry, putting up lawn signs, etc.). They need lots of people, especially on election day.

Political parties rely on a base which provides donations and volunteers. The stronger the Democratic base is, the better the chance that the Democrats can prevent the Republicans from locking themselves into power.

(2) Join a non-partisan organization aimed at getting people to vote.
posted by russilwvong at 9:26 PM on September 29, 2005

Campaign for paper trails in all Diebold machines. Write to everyone about it. At the moment that is the greatest thing you can do for your country.
posted by Pretty_Generic at 9:42 PM on September 29, 2005

Move to Canada...?
posted by kashmir772 at 9:43 PM on September 29, 2005

I don't think Canada is entirely safe... Liberal Democracy is still firmly entrenched in the Netherlands, maybe that's the place to make your stand.
posted by Meatbomb at 10:00 PM on September 29, 2005

I live in Canada. Although I welcome Canadian-minded immigrants from south of the border, I must say that voting with your feet will just do more to leave the US in the hands of those already in power....
posted by acoutu at 10:51 PM on September 29, 2005

Do something small and local. A lot of people are asking themselves "What can I, personally, do to get George Bush out of the White House?" The answer is nothing, of course. But don't discount the value of just participating in the culture. There's a lot more to America than the body politic. Volunteer. Attend protests.Call in to talk radio. Fundraise. Write to your congress members, newspaper editors, friends and family about issues that matter to you. Pick something that's small enough for you to have a big effect on, and do that. If you take on the whole enchilada, you'll feel powerless and you'll eventually burn out and switch off. That's what you have to prevent.
posted by scarabic at 11:34 PM on September 29, 2005

Meatbomb: Given the recent resurge of anti-immigration right-wingers in the Netherlands, I'd say liberal democracy is starting to make its farewells. It's not as much of a paradise as you'd think.
posted by badlydubbedboy at 4:29 AM on September 30, 2005

It's daunting. I'm not going to suggest big things you can do, but I will suggest one small thing. Speak up, always. Don't stay silent in the face of that Bush/Iraq/etc supporter, even if it's your dear old mom. Even if it's your co-worker. Even if it's your boss. Put the opinions out there whenever you can. To hell with tact and social niceties. When you hear bullshit, call it.

This will cause friction and conflict. That's unavoidable. Live your beliefs.
posted by Decani at 5:18 AM on September 30, 2005

Help your favorite candidate get elected!

People with computer skills are often in short supply. Help 'em set up their website, administer their online donations, do their webgraphics, or the like. And there's nothing quite as entertaining and batshit-insane as a good Political Campaign.
posted by By The Grace of God at 5:28 AM on September 30, 2005

I have worked on capitol hill in DC and on political campaigns.
In answer to your question about paper mail vs email, I would say that handwritten paper mail has a larger effect than email does. In neither case is the Senator/Representative ever going to see your communication, but taking the time to put your thoughts into writing and slapping a stamp on the envelope shows someone in the office that you care, and that can translate into recommendations to the member.

Post-anthrax, yes, paper mail does take a bit longer to get through the capitol mail system, but it does still get there, so don't let that be a deterrent to you.

Secondly, always remember that all politics is local. If you want to get involved, start with something in your home town. Anything from school board to a mayor's race to state delegate race can help you get your feet wet. If you really want to take a stab at the bigger time, Schwarzenegger is starting to get into some hot water and has a special election coming up with a few different issues on the ballot. Pick one that interests you and get involved with a group that agrees with you.

Decisions are made by those who show up, they say, so start showing up!
posted by Inkoate at 6:03 AM on September 30, 2005

Some of the problems you mention have non-political solutions. I'm thinking especially of education: If more people helped out with literacy programs or school fundraisers, our schools would be better.

Getting involved in politics is important, but it's also like banging your head against a wall — as you've already discovered. Spend some time doing work with an immediate, local effect. Teach kids, grow a garden, work in a soup kitchen — something like that.

I'm not saying you should forget politics, mind you. Volunteering is a great way to meet other hard-working politically-minded people. It's a great way to network and organize. The fact that it's fun and rewarding is icing on the cake.
posted by nebulawindphone at 6:12 AM on September 30, 2005

Move. Canada just rolled out a plan to increase the number of immigrants it accepts. Canada is not broken. You can either spend your life unhappy and struggling against forces which are far far more powerful than you, or you can spend it happy in a country which agrees with your stances about things.

You're not abandoning American ideals; remember the place was founded by people who MOVED because they found Britain toxic to their belief systems. You can do that too.
posted by jellicle at 6:50 AM on September 30, 2005

I'd pick one cause (education, poverty, the electoral system, the environment or whatever moves you) and just devote myself to that. You'll be able to acquire expertise and channel significat resources into that one cause and thus have a much greater net impact than if you diffused your efforts. Besides, those areas are HUGE in themselves. You'll have more than enough to chew on.
posted by orange swan at 7:15 AM on September 30, 2005

People keep advising you to move, although you've said you're not ready to give up on the U.S.

They are right in a way. You can move, you have a perfect right to, and certainly lots of places would welcome you. But problems don't recognize national borders. Wherever you go you will find serious issues, and you'll still feel compelled to do this kind of work. So perhaps it's really a question of where you feel you can be most effective, and where you can make the best possible contribution.
posted by orange swan at 7:22 AM on September 30, 2005

Put your career where your mouth is. Go work in places where you feel you make a difference or at organizations that work towards the cause you care about. Odds are you'll be putting your money where your mouth is too as they won't pay as well.
posted by phearlez at 7:27 AM on September 30, 2005

"Move to Canada" is singularly unhelpful advice.

Quietgal has said that she has limited money. That means she almost certainly doesn't have a couple grand lying around to use for immigration fees, more if she needs or
decides to get a lawyer to help her with the process.

It means she probably also doesn't have the additional couple thousand it will take to physically move to Canada.

It for damn sure means that she doesn't have the $10K that the Canadian government requires as proof that she can support herself (at poverty levels) for six months, much less the $20K or $30K that would be a more realistic guess at six months of living expenses if she plans to move to Vancouver or Toronto.

You might as well tell her to move to the moon, go to a timeline where Gore won, or use her orbital mind-control lasers to become God-Emperor of North America and fix everything.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 7:38 AM on September 30, 2005

I don't know if every office works like this, but when I worked for a Congressperson we gave all forms of communication -- email, paper, phone call, etc. -- equal weight, and tallied them into "for" and "against" columns. Over time, many impassioned pleas from a lot of people might make a dent, but if it makes you more likely to respond to more issues, I would do whatever is fastest and easiest for you. Volunteering on a campaign or in a local political office, even if you're just stuffing envelopes, can put you in contact with politically involved people and help you figure out what kind of work and activities suit you. It can also be fun.
posted by walla at 7:59 AM on September 30, 2005

What's the single biggest problem in your opinion?

Start there. Focus all your resources on it. I like that Modest Needs guy. Try that strategy.
posted by ewkpates at 8:24 AM on September 30, 2005

Do you feel a bond with your community? You don't necessarily need to have a plan to stay there long-term, but if you like your immediate area you might look into volunteering locally. Options may be limited depending on your work schedule since a lot of opportunities are going to overlap with a standard work week, but it's worth pursuing. It's one thing to feel the system as a whole is flawed and another to actually jump in and help where you can see the difference.

Elementary schools often accept volunteers, as do a variety of public works organizations. Local shelters (women's, homeless, youth) can usually use volunteers. If you're wondering what people are in conflict about locally, check the local news and find out when city council meetings are. If you're unable to attend, there is always the possibility that local access cable broadcasts the meetings live.
posted by mikeh at 8:24 AM on September 30, 2005

Join the local major political party. Where I live, the county Democrats and Republicans both suffer from an excess of gray hair and a major struggle to recruit new people.

You may not agree with everything the major party stands for, but through these channels you will be able to accomplish more. By attending regular meetings and taking on leadership roles on committees, you will affect party policy in your community. Given time and solid work, your influence can grow.

As you're volunteering to the party, you will also learn a lot about how things work behind the scenes on a regional and state level.

Active work for a party can be the first step to holding political office. Without lots of money, you probably don't have a chance of advancing beyond the state level. In the United States, however, states have a lot of sway -- and California doubly so -- when it comes to setting national priorities and policies.
posted by croutonsupafreak at 8:55 AM on September 30, 2005

Volunteer locally. As others have said, you can really affect only your immediate environment.

Hands On Bay Area is a very cool organization that lets you volunteer for multiple charities without making a huge time commitment. You attend an hour-long orientation, then you can sign up for single three- or four-hour time blocks at places like soup kitchens, community gardens and parks, literacy programs, etc. You can volunteer once a month, once a week, or once a day, and all scheduling is done online.

They're actually about to do their big annual volunteer drive, Hands On Bay Area Day, on October 15. Might be worth checking out.

For me, at least, knowing that I'm doing something tangible -- spending an afternoon in a soup kitchen, spending a morning making the zoo look better for kids, whatever -- gets rid of that sinking feeling I get when I think about how necessarily ineffective I am in the national scene. But while I can't take on national education policy all by myself, I can teach one kid to read. So I do that.
posted by occhiblu at 9:06 AM on September 30, 2005

Errr, my "You can volunteer once a month, once a week, or once a day" comment was intended to convey "You can volunteer as frequently, or infrequently, as you like," and not that you're given only those three scheduling options.

Sorry, my copywriter-ese is out of control this morning.
posted by occhiblu at 9:19 AM on September 30, 2005

Fight for accountable elections. If we lose those (or, rather, if their loss isn't reversed), we've lost everything.

But you're in San Francisco. Boxer and Feinstein are probably on-board anyway

Feinstein's on board with the status quo.
posted by Zed_Lopez at 9:53 AM on September 30, 2005

It's a cliche, but: think globally, act locally.

Find some places in your community that need volunteer time and energy more than money, that are consistent with your personal values, and commit some of your time and energy to them. Encourage others to do the same.

My personal hot-button issues have historically been homelessness (closely tied to the utterly disgraceful way our society treats people with serious mental illnesses) and access to quality education, so I have in the past done volunteer work as a soup kitchen/shelter staffer and as an adult literacy instructor. Now that I have more money than time, I support charities in these areas financially.

On the political front, if you can find a candidate (at any level, for any office) that you'd like to support, there is a lot of unglamorous but extremely necessary grunt work that needs to be done in support of a campaign, especially early on. And local politics, which most people ignore, actually has a bigger impact on their lives in many ways than state or national-level stuff.

This may sound like a goofy idea, but do you have an up-to-date resume? Look it over. The skills that you can sell to an employer can probably also be highly useful to one or more charities whose missions will resonate with you.
posted by enrevanche at 10:11 AM on September 30, 2005

Thank you, everyone, for good ideas and food for thought.
posted by Quietgal at 7:23 PM on September 30, 2005

You know, maybe you think you've got crappy interpersonal skills, but maybe other people just think you're quiet and thoughtful.

If you talk, people are probably more likely to listen to you ...

I share your concerns about the world and my country (Australia) in particular ...

The only solution I can think of is talking ... there's too much ignorance, because too many people are brainwashed by the media and consumerism. Just a little conversation may be able to change the world ... you know, the butterfly effect?

So drop a couple of factoids into your conversation ...

"Hey i heard you can sail around the Arctic this summer for the first time ever ... gotta love that Global Warming ...

"Pity those poor bloody Siberians but, their villages are collapsing because they're built on permafrost, and now they're turning into swamp ... that would so suck!!!

Tap into our common humanity, and I think we can beat the machine!
posted by GrantNW at 7:46 PM on September 30, 2005