As those who've read the series know, I'm one of the authors in the historical essays section. After two of these, I feel some sense of, well, not ownership, but of responsibility for the series. I find that I cannot simply let my participation with this project end there. More is demanded of us authors: we need to issue the call to action. Hence my diary.
But this mere writer and historian needs the help of those better versed in the practical matters of organizing and scheduling. To those I have a special call -- help me help us. Read what I've written below, and give me your advice in the comments on how to accomplish the action I propose.
Tonight Jay Elias published this diary, a cry from the heart if ever I heard one. This was the quote that most got to me:
In what so often feel like dark times, all of you, those of you who wrote and commented and read and sent emails and faxed and called your representatives, you are a light to me. You bring me hope and faith that I am right to believe in us, to believe in the power of simple citizens yearning to make a better place not only for themselves but for their neighbors, and in this experiment in self-governance which depends more than anything else on that spirit which has faith in the idea that free people will voluntarily choose to act collectively for the common good. I know that this moment will not last forever; that which divides us and pits our beliefs and arguments against one another will come back. And there will be moments when right now seems impossible, and the idea that we can move past what divides us and speak with a single clear voice will seem lost. But I now have this moment to guard against that, to remind me of who we are and what we are capable of, and I want to thank you for that. [emphases added]
Jay, my friend, let me give you more than just this.
Let me give you ACTION.
Here it is, very simply: we take what we have, unedited, unprettified, and put it on CDs. Most of us have CD burners in our desktops. And blocks of blank CDs are relatively cheap. The process of collecting the essays has been made very easy for us, as m00nchild's dKosopedia page on the series is the perfect template. We get some talented person to design us a cover to print, preferably in black, not color, who will make it easy to download. And we get to work, burning CDs.
Then, those of us who can -- and particularly the authors of these articles, although everyone is welcome -- gather up the CDs, meet in DC, and visit every single Representative and Senator in Congress, and present them with their very own galley proof of Restoring Our Constitution.
I suggest that we use the comments below to coordinate where to meet, when to do this, how to gather the funds for buying CDs, and decide on a graphic artist for the project. The time is right, for it will soon be spring break for those among us who are college student or professors, and people will have time to travel.
We have many in Congress on both sides of the aisle who will respond to this work. Oh, there will be those who will laugh or sneer or dismiss us as mere uppity rabble. But many more will listen. Some will be persuaded. Others, our friends and allies, will be heartened. All of them need to see us, all of them need to hear us, and all of them need to read our words. Let us do this, and let us start planning it now.
And more importantly, time is of the essence. Every week that goes by brings us some new revelation of how much we have lost, are losing, will continue to lose. Let us do this now, for our ancestors, for ourselves, for each other, for our fellow citizens, for those yet to be born, and last but not least for those who look to this country from abroad, both those who still see us as freer than their own land and those who wonder what the hell happened to that shining beacon across the seas.