12 Ways to Get Involved
January 12th, 2007
So you have finally realized that the country is going to Hell in a hand basket. Corrupt politicians who pander to corporations, legislation that doesn’t reflect your values, tax dollars being spent obscenely. It all seems like too much to think about - it would be so much easier to just sit your ass on the couch and watch CSI. But that’s what they want you to do.
Below I provide a dozen ways for you to get involved. None of the ideas are meant to be partisan in nature. Regardless of which side of the aisle you sit on, you can still get involved. It’s not a difference of opinions that will bring down the empire - it’s apathy. So get off the couch, and get involved.
1. Attend a Rally - There’s nothing to make you feel more involved with a cause than attending a rally. Mingling with people who share your ideas and are working towards a common goal can be truly inspirational.
2. Get Your Coworkers to Vote - This can be as simple as encouraging Sally in cubicle 5b to get out and vote. Or you could post flyers in your break room explaining the virtues of voting to the less socially concious. If you are the boss, give your people some time off to go out and vote. The work will be there when they get back…
3. Create an Online Petition - Gone are the days of going door to door to get people to sign a petition. With the advent of the Internet, getting people involved is a breeze. A few resources: Petition Spot; The Petition Site; and Petition Online.
4. Volunteer for a Campaign - Running for office requires a lot of work, and a lot of people to help. There are plenty of things you can do to help: hand out literature, host a reception, help with mailings, and more. Just find somebody you like and contact them - they’ll tell you how you can best help with their efforts.
5. Alert the Media - Mainstream media is obsessed with sensationalism and fear, at the neglect of stories that should be getting attention. If you know of something that isn’t getting the attention it deserves, say something about it. Let ‘em know, maybe they’ll surprise you. Contact CNN, call FOX at 888-369-4762, contact ABC News, call CBS at 212-975-3247 or send them an email. (Information for NBC and MSNBC was not readily available - their contact page was experiencing problems).
6. Host a House Party - Open your home to host a fundraising party for your candidate. These intimate gatherings can be ideal for sharing information and getting people involved. The casual setting of a home, and the spirit of a party make it less stuffy. For more information check out Meetup. They’ve got info for any city you can think of.
7. Write Letters to Congress - Tell your representatives exactly what you are thinking. For best results, write from the heart, and try a personalized letter, instead of a form letter. Contacting your representative is easy - see Contacting the Congress for a full set of contact details including phone, website, mailing address, fax, and more.
8. Involve Your Family - Getting your family involved with your activities can go a long way to keeping you active. Introducing your kids to the political process and getting them active will help keep you going (as a role model) and will set your kids in an active mindset.
9. Fight the Power - Attend your town hall meetings, and let your local representatives know how you feel. Need a new traffic light to help reduce speeding in your neighborhood? Tired of your public school’s lack of funding? Find out when City Hall has it’s monthly meetings, and attend. The floor opens up for new business, and you can make your opinion known.
10. Freeway Blog - For as little as a couple of bucks, you can reach hundreds of thousands of people. Not only is it your right to do so, but in today’s day and age, it’s almost your obligation. Find out more from the master.
11. Give Money - When all else fails, you can always dig into your pocket and provide financial assistance. There aren’t any organizations that couldn’t use a couple of extra bucks to help with their cause. There are no shortage of places to donate - find a cause that you agree with and send them $50 (or whatever you can afford). It’s easy to do and your donation will go a long way.
12. Speak out Online - There is perhaps no better way to reach so many people on a shoestring budget. With a global audience, participating in the discussion online can cause ripple effects for years to come. Start a blog (zero to little cost) and get writing. Find some popular blogs of writers you disagree with, and present a dissenting point of view. There are always two sides to an argument (at a minimum) so get in there and present your view - it will always be there for others to see, and you could help in forming an opinion. The Technorati Top 100 and the BOTW Blogs Politics category are great places to start looking.
You don’t need to try to tackle each of the above ideas. Pick one or two and start there. Now that you have some ideas, it’s up to you - get involved or stay complacent. The choice is yours.
January 12th, 2007 at 8:58 am
Amen! I respect the fact that you do not pander to the right or the left in this blog entry. You are absolutely correct in pointing out the danger of apathy, no matter which side of the aisle you sit.
January 12th, 2007 at 9:37 am
Nice post, and definitely some good ideas. Thanks for the inspiration.
January 12th, 2007 at 9:58 am
I’m not too sure about #10, Freeway Blogging. Is it legal? Is it effective? Or is it just littering?
January 12th, 2007 at 10:19 am
Jim:
Is It Legal? - I’m not a lawyer, so I can’t comment on the legality. I guess the success would depend upon where you put your signs, and how you define effective. I wouldn’t consider it littering any more than those signs telling you who to vote for, or the signs on overpasses welcoming our troops home.
January 12th, 2007 at 11:36 am
most of these are illisions anyway, but a couple are good however minimally effective. Just about the ONLY best way to inflict change in america’s political machine is to have an ass load of money. In the end the only thing that speaks in this godforsaken country, and probably many others is money; the more you have the louder you are.
January 12th, 2007 at 11:37 am
(correction) illusions.
January 12th, 2007 at 12:00 pm
[…] This day and age a good number of people are unhappy with the way the United States is being run. Whether you are one of those citizens or not, it’s your duty to get involved in the government. That’s just how it works and if you don’t get involved you let other people make decisions for you. Personally, that’s not my style. Get involved. […]
January 12th, 2007 at 12:03 pm
[…] 12 Ways to Get Involved: [Greg Hartnett]. If you don’t like politics don’t read this post. If you do, or feel you should get more involved, Greg has some good ideas. If you aren’t willing to do anything, don’t complain. […]
January 12th, 2007 at 12:07 pm
I’d add to that list getting involved in your party’s nomination and primary process. In my state each voting precinct chooses delegates to their party’s convention. Since many candidates get eliminated at convention before going to a public primary, these neighborhood delegates make many decisions on what appears on the ballot. Unfortunately the people that get elected as delegates tend to be fanatical and they make decisions that most of the electorate doesn’t agree with. If more people would be willing to attend a two or three political debates and spend one Saturday morning at a party convention, these fringe elements wouldn’t have such a strong voice.
January 12th, 2007 at 12:42 pm
I have done a handful of the things mentioned here, and it changed my life, though I’m not sure much else changed.
Money has a lot to do with how much you can get done - at least on the national level. Locally you can really make an impact without having to spend too much money.
January 12th, 2007 at 12:42 pm
I would add “Get involved with a group that shares your concern”. In my case it was the Sierra Club. I’ve been much more effective than I would have been solo.
January 12th, 2007 at 12:46 pm
We do not have a true democracy. Politicians do what
their special interest groups ask, not voters.
Only if we can form a party accountable to voters
not getting kickbacks can we have a democracy…
A good start is telling people about democracywatch.ca
January 12th, 2007 at 1:07 pm
Thanks for reminding me about petitions, online. I’m suprised more people, myself included, don’t utilize online petitions.
January 12th, 2007 at 1:18 pm
As a young republican, I am often being accosted by people who assume I am a democrat who want to get me to vote. Generally I explain that I plan on voting, but I plan on voting Republican. Only rarely do they still support the fact that I am voting. Mostly they just walk away entirely.
I am sure this works both ways, not just a democrat/republican thing, but it is funny to me how many people are pushing the “get out the young vote” thing strictly because they know who young people tend to vote for. I just wish that they didn’t act like they were trying to be noble, and came right out and said that they are trying to get their guy to win. That’s politics, I guess.
January 12th, 2007 at 3:32 pm
I enjoy going to the Town Hall sessions, they cover alot of topics and have many govt officials speaking to the public.
it’s sad that i rarely see anyone else under 25
January 12th, 2007 at 6:57 pm
I do agree! Get involved. Make the world a better place. How? Do what you can to bring an end to the two party monopoly in this country.
You don’t have to read some cardboard sign to know where this country is going and it’s not because of any single Republican or Democrat. It is the entire institution. We need to ditch this Democrat & Republican monopoly and let the other parties and candidates have an honest chance at winning leadership. Our current essentially system lets you pick between losers -And make no mistake… They are all losers! The electoral process in this country disgusts me to no end.
Back in the good old days people would walk barefoot in the snow and fight for what they believe in. Now they scribble stuff on cardboard and act like they are doing something. Make a statement. Insist that your fellow countrymen have their day in the sun. Vote for someone other than Democrat or Republican candidates.
Another way to make a difference: Don’t vote for people who sling mud at other candidates or people in office. We need a government that functions in a respectful and orderly way without constant turmoil. The campaign is not about bickering… it’s about what the candidate can do for us while in office. Let their deeds speak.
January 12th, 2007 at 7:22 pm
[…] Greg Hartnett » 12 Ways to Get Involved (tags: politics activism grassroots) Share This Close […]
January 12th, 2007 at 7:33 pm
GregH
I come here by way of Hot Air..where I saw a comment of yours in a post about the photoshppoed photo on Malkin.com. I found the whole thing pretty fun, since I’m the one who put up the post on DKos…as a joke. Good god - could they really think I was being serious? He even included my text:
And he still says “Hook, line and sinker at DKos.” Oy.
For what it’s worth, the photo was photoshopped - it says so in the caption. And I don’t care. I just wanted to have a fun faked-photo scandal going the other way.
Looks alike an interesting site. And this spost too. Reminds me of a book I did a little work for (may be a little openly partisan for your taste).
Talk to you later
Little
January 12th, 2007 at 8:10 pm
Cool book Little - I added it to my amazon wish list. The post was actually inspired more than anything by Moveon’s 50 Ways to Love Your Country.
My original idea was to do twenty things - I wanted to focus on the easiest ones. The post sat half done for two weks, so I decided to go with the abbreviated 12 instead. A future post will probably go into some of the more time consuming or larger ideas.
Thanks to all who contributed some great feedback here.
January 12th, 2007 at 9:54 pm
Education is the first and foremost item that any human being interested in their governmental affairs should acquire.
Want to know where the money is going? Check for the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, Sometimes called the Combined Annual Financial Report. This is the “second set of books” every political organization from towns and cities on up are required to have. It may cost you a bit of cash, and some digging to get hold of a copy, but this will help you find out about things you may not even know about.
Require a copy of your city/county/state budget report and compare the two. That should raise several red flags.
Remember, very few politicians are in the job due to “patriotism, defending liberties, or whatever rhetoric they spout while campaigning.
Secondly, Check and see how many local politicians have filed a signed/dated/notarized copy of their oath of office. Without it, in most areas, the “office” is officially empty without it. This applies to judges you voted for as wll.
Just some food for thought.
January 13th, 2007 at 9:49 am
[…] …Polo. […]
January 13th, 2007 at 12:18 pm
Excellent, Greg. I look forward to regular reads over here.
LT
January 13th, 2007 at 12:19 pm
Dang. URL was wrong in that last comment.
January 13th, 2007 at 1:50 pm
You might consider joining your local political club. Where I live, it’s the usual preliminary to running for office; they can advise you on filing procedures, help you collect signatures, introduce you to other local pols (including your competition), etc.
Insist that your fellow countrymen have their day in the sun. Vote for someone other than Democrat or Republican candidates.
I’d love for this to be something other than a waste of time–which brings me back to the clubs. The Green Party is a joke, the GOP is basically a franchise operation for the corrupt and crazy, and the Dems have a learning curve that’s ‘way too steep. If you want to fix any of that, joining the local club is where you’d start.
January 13th, 2007 at 3:42 pm
[…] lifehacker links to a guide to getting involved in politics that at least acknowledges the existence of the Internet.[…]
January 13th, 2007 at 10:07 pm
Not so sure if voting (at least in national elections) is a viable option these days. I’d say serious self-education on economics and history is the way to go. And then simply share that info with others. I’ve found it to be the best recipe to counter the “news” and politics.
January 13th, 2007 at 10:12 pm
I agree with all of these, especially starting a blog. It is so easy - try http://wordpress.com or http://blogger.com and you can reach people around the world. You can attract attention to your cause and get changes made!
January 14th, 2007 at 9:25 am
[…] Greg Hartnett » 12 Ways to Get Involved […]
January 14th, 2007 at 10:32 pm
great ideas, i agree with most. know of a website that rallies american expats overseas to inform them of demonstrations or protests at embassies in different nations? been meaning to find one myself, if not maybe even start one.
January 15th, 2007 at 3:55 pm
Very nice.
January 16th, 2007 at 9:17 pm
[…] Greg Hartnett » 12 Ways to Get Involved (tags: activism politics) […]
January 17th, 2007 at 12:18 pm
[…] Posted on January 17th, 2007 by b.art. Categories: random. Via lifehacker comes this extremely resourceful link from American blogger Greg Hartnett about ways to get yourself and others actively politically involved. Though it’s aimed at an american audience, many of the recommendations are extremely adaptable and doable here in Jamaica. In fact you’ll realise that many of the items are things that have actually been done on local soil before. All they need are will power, a thinking mind and a cause behind them. I am particularly pleased that the ideas presented extend the scope of action beyond the now ineffective method of blocking roads and demanding justice. Then again, what are the odds that the same persons who are prone to block roads as their mark of activism are the ones to likely read blogs (least of all mine)? I’ve included below those recommendations below with a few amendments (see original post here!). Those in the normal font have been left untouched. The ones in dark green are those I edited to reflect our local situation. 1. Attend a Rally - There’s nothing to make youfeel more involved with a cause than attending a rally. Mingling withpeople who share your ideas and are working towards a common goal canbe truly inspirational. […]
March 23rd, 2007 at 1:31 am
[…] So, you don’t like the direction that politics is headed in? Think you cannot make a difference? Well, you are wrong. You CAN make a difference and sometimes, all you need is a little bit of motivation and guidance to find your way into getting involved. Well, Greg Hartnett has you covered with 12 ways that YOU can get involved in the political system and make sure your voice and concerns are heard. What are these 12 ways? […]
February 4th, 2008 at 10:09 pm
what if your friends arel broke and you want to find a rich politician to hook up with ?
February 4th, 2008 at 10:13 pm
I’m serious there are politicians that need a good woman by there side but we woman that are not so politically savvy font know how to get involved with them and get to know them
March 31st, 2008 at 8:08 am
Does sending chain letters to get involved in Anti-War politics? We should prepare something before it is too late i guess?
April 22nd, 2008 at 6:11 pm
Hey Greg,
I love this article. We’ve really been pushing to find new ways for people to get involved behind the idea that if everyone gave back in little ways like these, the results could be astounding. Any thoughts on how to active people into actually participating and donating their valuable assets (ie time & money)?
s][c
May 5th, 2008 at 9:23 pm
[…] off of #2 of Greg Hartnett’s “12 Ways To Get Involved” (which has some great ideas as well), convince someone else to vote. Now I’m not going to tell […]