Netroots Nation 2009 lacked diversity in any number of ways you could choose to define diversity. As another Daily Kos user this morning points out, the Netroots could have been called the whiteroots convention. From my perspective as a southern blogger I was also disappointed in the shrunken numbers of Southern attendees.
I was thus extremely disappointed when Las Vegas was announced as the choice for the location of the 2010 convention. As someone who started as a trained political field organizer I learned that you have to go directly to the people. The choice of where we go to hold our conventions is important as a symbol and also as a tool to influence change. Las Vegas at the Rio hotel may be a lot of fun and debauchery but does that stretch us far enough as a movement. Btw - Pittsburgh was an excellent choice
Yesterday I attended a panel titled New Orleans on the Brink.
The description for the panel in the convention program read:
While statistical evidence has consistently identified the failed federal response to Katrina as the watershed event contributing to the decline of the Bush administration's approval ratings, progressives and the netroots have largely abandoned the cause of New Orleans as a political and moral issue. The Left has a responsibility to see to it that New Orleans survives and thrives, for the sustainable recovery of this city will be the primary measure used for determining whether the netroots indeed represent a substantive movement concerned with the betterment of American communities or just another vessel for cyclical change in partisan fortunes. As it stands, New Orleans is on the brink. Rates of crime, illiteracy, poverty, imprisonment and life expectancy too closely resemble those of developing nations. Political power remains ensconced in the hands of economic and tribal elites. Basic retention of the population that has been able to return is as pressing a challenge as bringing home the tens of thousands who remain displaced almost four years after the levees failed.
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The panel discussion provided a keen insight into what was going on in New Orleans as well as how the netroots community could assist with shedding light on the real situation and failures in the city. For me this provided another illustration on how we have failed the entire gulf coast region ravaged by the continued failed federal response to Katrina. As progressives and bloggers we have failed in not doing a better job in recognizing what has transpired.
New Orleans would have been the perfect choice to host Netroots Nation 2010 which will be on the eve of the fifth anniversary of Katrina. While I later talked to a few of the organizers and staff about the difficulties with New Orleans as a convention site for 2010, I do believe that we can influence the decision for 2011 or 2012. New Orleans represents what happens when your government fails you and the major issues we face in terms of abject poverty, lack of access to health care and government response.
I've grown in the last year from someone who simply wanted to use blogging to influence electoral politics. I've learned that the real change comes by bringing more people to the process and growing our community. Take an interest in what really matters to this community as a whole. Challenge yourself to get out of your comfort zone and the status quo. Why do we come to these conventions? Do we come to challenge ourselves to be better at what we do on a daily basis?
See you in Las Vegas next July. But I also hope with your help to see you in New Orleans in 2011.