This diary is a continuation of a discussion that began on a thread from
this diary, which I will call the "Snowflake Diary," about how individuals acting alone can make a difference. I resisted the urge to title it "Microactivism 101," because that would imply that I intended it to be a tutorial rather than a point of departure and a catalyst for discussion. The point of this diary is that while it is possible for one person, such as Rosa Parks or Cindy Sheehan, to make a big difference, we as individuals are more likely in our daily lives to have the opportunity to make many small differences. What I'd like to do is to open a discussion about how best to act upon those opportunities, and to encourage others to do the same. That is what I call microactivism.
Quite simply, microactivism involves seizing small, sometimes fleeting opportunities to advance progressive causes, slow the progress of regression, and effect positive change in our communities. What I'm talking about generally occurs at the LTE level and below, and consists mainly of activities that take no more than 5 to 10 minutes to complete and may only take a few seconds with the help of the Internet.
While reclaiming our country is obviously going to involve a lot of hard work and sacrifice from many people, the bottom line is that we're not going to get that level of dedication from everyone, or even from most people, who agree with us -- and that fact will only become more evident as the tent grows larger. As much as I would love to see everyone -- myself included -- dedicate most of their time to reversing the terrible course that this country has taken, I am fully and painfully aware of the numerous obstacles people face in increasing their activism. Most people are busier, more harried, and more distracted than ever, and the policies of the Bush administration have only exacerbated this. When people have to work additional jobs to pay for health insurance and day care, when good jobs go overseas only to be replaced with lower-paying ones without benefits, when interest rates mount along with energy prices, and millions of families slip into poverty, the people who are hit the hardest have less time and energy even to stay informed, much less defend their interests. So why not ask people to do what they can, or even what is convenient? Why not ask a lot of people to take small action, rather than rely solely upon the few who take bigger and bolder action?
Here's an example from my own experience:
Several years ago, my home city of Greenville, SC, was the site of a weeklong gay pride rally that seriously rattled the fundie cage. They quickly organized their own rally, started up a "Coalition for Traditional Family Values" with the help of some of Dobson's people, placed hideous signs of the "sodomy is of the devil" variety in their years, and began distributing hate literature through their churches. One day my wife and I came home from a movie to find such a packet of literature hanging from the flag of our mailbox -- a plastic bag full of tracts with titles like "God's Cure for AIDS."
It was then that I recalled something that I had learned back in my Young Republican days, while I was campaigning for my brother-in-law, who was running for county clerk. Another worker and I had been sticking campaign fliers under the flags of people's mailboxes, and one day we got a call from a local postmaster advising us that we were commiting a Federal offense and that we should cease and desist this practice immediately, which we did.
All of a sudden, this little tidbit of information became useful to me.
I ran off photocopies of the literature and sent them to my postmaster along with a cover letter stating that I was aware that their behavior was a Federal offense and that I wanted it stopped.
Not surprisingly, the postmaster sent a letter back to me advising me that if I wanted to put a stop to it, I would have to contact the postal inspectors in Charleston myself. I did. A few weeks later, I got a copy of the cease-and-desist letter that was sent to this orgainization. Mercifully, the "CC" line at the bottom included only my initials.
These people put their hate packets on over 250,000 mailboxes in Greenville County, but I, and I alone, stopped them cold. I still consider it one of my shining moments. I also passed the info along to a gay co-worker, who spread the word within the local gay community, so that it would never happen again.
I estimate that I spent a total of around 90 minutes on this action, including reading the literature, writing the letters, making copies, and preparing the envelopes. My total cost: less than $2.00 for postage and copies.
In microactivist terms, that is an expensive and time-consuming action.
I don't wish to sound cliched, but microactivism involves working smarter, not harder. It requires one to be constantly on the lookout for small opportunites to act and to be willing to pause for a few minutes or a few seconds to act upon them. For example, if a company whose practices are unfair, oppressive, or tyrannical solicits your business, take a minute or two to let them know why you are not doing business with them.
Another personal example: right after I bought my house three years ago, I recieved a call from a telemarketer representing ADT, who was trying to sell me a home security system. I asked him if he worked for the same ADT that installed dozens of spy cameras in the downtown area of my home city. When he replied that yes, that was his company, I informed him that I did not appreciate the presence of spy cameras on the streets, and asked him why I should trust his company with the security of my home when it was complicit in violating my privacy outside my home. I also mentioned that the total cost of having the cameras installed was more than three times the amount that his company first quoted to the city. And by the way, wasn't his company a subsidiary of the Tyco Corporation? He was flabbergasted. As he fumbled for a reply, I instructed him not to call again and hung up.
Numerous other opportunities for microactivism exist. Do you support a candidate or organization, but cannot afford a full membership or contribution, or just don't want to get on another damn mailing list? Then drop a buck in an envelope (a business reply if you have one) and send it off. Tired of getting those credit card solitications in the mail? Remove the postage-paid envelopes, drop in some scrap paper that doesn't bear your name and address, and send it back. You won't stop getting them, but you will inconvenience the company, and if enough people do it, perhaps the companies will be forced to be a bit more selective with their solitications.
Always be on the lookout for way to utilize technology, especially cell phones, digital cameras, and the Internet. How many times have we all seen videos depicting police brutality and other official misconduct? Most of these videos were shot by amateurs who just happened upon the scene. Those little cell-phone cameras can be effective as well in gathering such information. And I shouldn't have to lecture any DailyKos member on the power of the Internet. Signing an online petition can take only a few seconds. I don't like astroturf LTEs and would never encourage anyone to use them; but standarized letters to representatives through organizations like Moveon.org and the ACLU, while not as effective as independently authored letters, are a quick and easy way to let your Congressmen and Senators know your opinions. An e-mail or phone call to a representative can take as little as 1-2 minutes if you have the number (or address) at hand. Be willing to take a few seconds to share valuable information, such as hard-to-find addresses and phone numbers, with others on sites such as this one.
These are only a few suggestions, thrown right off the top of my coffee-addled noggin. Again, it is intended only as a point of departure. I hope that some of you will respond with additional suggestions and personal stories. The point is to make people more aware of practical, feasible, and efficient ways to become more active in the political, economic, and social processes that affect their daily lives.
THANKS to puckish for suggesting this diary.