Welcome to Connect! Unite! Act!
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The stress of worrying about the election is beginning to get to me, so I am actively trying to find ways to distract myself.
Instead of obsessing about what will happen in two weeks, I am looking ahead two months, starting to make a list of holiday presents to buy for friends.
I give a lot of books as gifts, and I have three books in particular that I give to progressive friends who have not read them (or to persuadables I think can be swayed to be more liberal).
Lies My Teacher Told Me explains why so many people know so little about American history. Some people are ignorant because they weren’t paying attention in history class, and others are ignorant because they WERE paying attention but their textbooks were terrible and their teachers did not correct the record. This is a good one to open the eyes of people who are just beginning to figure out the importance of questioning authority.
Black Like Me is a classic that, although dated, is still worth reading. I am of an age that I go back to a time when it was a given that most people had read it or at least heard of it, but lately I have been surprised to run into lots of people unfamiliar with it. If you get past the references to “negroes” and other language common to the early 1960s, you find a white man choosing to check his privilege in the most direct way imaginable, changing his life and the lives of millions who read his story.
Don’t Think of an Elephant (Tenth Anniversary version) never gets old, and I tear my hair out every time I hear D candidates breaking the most basic rules outlined in it. Republicons have Frank Luntz, but we have George Lakoff, and if I ruled the world no one would be allowed to run for any Democratic office or manage any Democratic campaign unless they read his book. Language matters. NEVER use the other side’s framing!
Of course there are a lot of other great books out there—from the heavy lifting of something like Shock Doctrine or The New Jim Crow to the this-should-be-required-reading-in-schools of The People’s History of the United States to the laugh on every page lightheartedness of I Am America (And So Can You).
Books are a great way to bring people in the middle to the Blue Team, or offer “you are not crazy and you are not alone” encouragement to people who are already solidly on our side.
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Questions of the day:
Do you give books to people as gifts in an attempt to sway their political beliefs and behavior?
What are some books you think every liberal/progressive should read?
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Start Up Soundtrack
As always, this is an Open Thread!
LET'S BUILD IN-REAL-LIFE COMMUNITIES!
Our team is here to provide support and guidance to new and existing volunteer leaders of each regional and state group, helping them with recruiting, organizing and executing social and action events. We invite you to join in this effort to build our community. There are many ways to pitch in. If there isn't a group to join near you, please start one.
The orange pinpoints are the location of each organized group of Daily Kos readers. If you'd like to join a group, click on a point and a box will pop up showing contact links. If you'd like to start a group, contact navajo for instructions.
THINK GLOBALLY, ACT LOCALLY
Colorado: Sunday Mornings
Michigan: Wednesdays, 6:00 PM Eastern
North Carolina: Sundays, 1:00 PM Eastern
Washington: Sundays, 3:30 PM Pacific
Missouri: Wednesday Evenings
Kansas: Monday Evenings
We appreciate everyone’s work on the ground locally while the general is ramping up. Please let us know in the comments what you’re working on. For example, GOTV, down-ballot campaign volunteering, blogging about our races, etc.
All hands on deck.
Let us know if you’ve got any events that would be of interest to other readers of Daily Kos IN-YOUR-REAL-LIFE space.
SFKossacks Holiday Party!
Saturday, November 19th, 1:00 PM, Wine Country in the town Windsor. Private residence address will be given to the folk who RSVP.
Please send navajo a kosmail to RSVP and state your potluck item. We need non-alcoholic beverages, appetizers, side dishes, (plus vegetarian versions) salads, and bread. Ice and large ice chests, too!
Also tell navajo if you need to carpool. AND! Dogs okay. FTW! No livestock, though.
RSVP & POTLUCK LIST:
1. Andrew McQuire—Host
2. navajo—Whole salmon for bbq for whole crowd
3. MrNavajo—8 six-packs of beer
4. side pocket—
5. Mrs. side pocket
6. smileycreek—Mini jalapeno polenta cups
7. paradise50—
8. Glen The Plumber—
9. remembrance—
10. TLO
11. jotter—One case of wine
12. aha aha
13. dsb—Ice in an ice chest, baguettes & cheese
14. marge—Curried potatoes and roasted vegetables
15. kimoconnor—
16. maggiejean—Salad
17. elfling—
18. Hunter
19. elfling/Hunter offspring, not livestock
20. Lorikeet—side dish
21. norm—
22. jck—side dish
23. Lusty—Vegetable side dish
24. ebby—
25. jakedog42—
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Maybees: Silky & Dixie
citisven
Deb
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NEW GROUPS FORMING:
Peregrine Kate organized canvassing for her local candidate, Paul Clements. Details about the event are here: Canvassing for Clements in MI-06! WE Are Making a Difference. YOU Can Help! Great job, Kate!
navajo maintains the above event list. Kosmail her if you have any diaries about your event or if you have changes or additions.
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