How can one guy make a difference?

[SunDrop23]

I'm married with two kids, closer to 40 than 30. I'm by no means rich, but our bills are paid and we have an emergency fund should something come up when we would need some quick cash. I live in a suburb of the state capital in a red state. My biggest challenge is remembering which kid has to go where and when, given the options of soccer, basketball, piano, baseball, chorus, and so forth.

So I ask you, what can I do to make a difference...and when I say difference, what can guys like me do between now and 2008 do to make the difference necessary to put a Dem in the White House?

-----

This is a conversation I had with a friend earlier today over a cup of coffee.

How would you answer his question?

[cpamomfromtexas]

1. Never underestimate yourself

Do like I do, convert them one at a time, make sure everyone knows what is wrong with the current administration and why it's critical that we watch them like hawks and VOTE!

[orleans]

2. just wear your "REPUBLICANS SUCK" t-shirt when you take the

kids to soccer & piano & chorus.


and maybe donate some time on the weekends to a campaign?

and stay involved with some liberal websites (to get some ideas, and be ready to respond when needed)

one big thing: keep informed. arm yourself with information in case you need to enlighten someone in the dark.

[OneGrassRoot]

3. Making sure your kids are educated about civics. :) n/t

[noamnety]

4. 35 things you can do

http://www.insurgentamerican.net/intellectual-hardball/insurgent-americans-35-point-practical-guide-for-action/

Some of them have to do with getting folks elected, some are more direct action that has to do with personally making the sort of impact we want the politicians to make. Some, like taking a self-defense course for women, might not be for you. :)

So, you have a girl and a boy? Two boys? Two girls?

[rurallib]

5. Every day the first thing I repeat to myself is the Margaret Mead quote

Or at least that is who I have seen it attributed to:
"never think that one man can't make a difference. In the end it has always been only one man who made the difference."
By that I take it to mean that it takes one person to lead the way, to stand up to whatever the situation and say "NO". And others will follow each of whom is yet another one man until the critical mass is reached.
So in the last couple years I myself have stood up at various times. And every time I did, others joined in and changes were made. Now we've got it in our heads that we can make changes happen.
What have we done?
- got a clearchannel station to change its format to AAR.
- got a sitting congressperson to quit handing out "indian" headbands as a parade trinket.
- Was part of one of the greatest grassroots upsets in congressional history - Dave Loebsack over Jim Leach. Leach was a 30 year vet of Congress.

And now we are working on bringing community radio to Iowa and starting on upsetting a very smug state senator.
And on each and every one of these one person stepped forward and one more then one more then one ...... and we got an effect much like that damned blizzard we had last week.

[WhiteTara]

6. are you thinking time or money?

If you're thinking time, become a member of the board of some organization...you would be surprised at the number of board positions that go vacant (my county has almost 200). It could be in one of the things your children are already involved in, or perhaps a service board for homeless, join the local democratic club or become a volunteer in the CASA organization.

Any of those will maybe not change the world, but the smaller world around you.

Money? MOVEON always has good causes to which you can donate...or just be the most you can be as a human and the ripple effect will take its course.

[Bitwit1234]

7. It is a shame that we can't have a cable site

where average Americans can get air time and tell this country just what we want. Just what is going on. And have a place to knock the wind out of the slurs and slings the republicans throw.

[Forkboy]

8. When you hear someone say something you don't like,speak up

I know people who are afraid or just too polite so they let some truly hateful things slide.Sometimes your one voice is all it takes for others to feel brave enough to speak out too.

And that's the simplest thing any of us can do.