A Call to Arms: Practical and Necessary Actions in Support of Democracy

My main impetus for writing this is because we have relegated the discussion of what is important in our lives to a professional class: the punditocracy and the career politicians. The only thing that fixes this is for all of US to start talking about it with each other. Given everything that you know about what this administration has done to subvert the rule of law and the sovereignty of the people, do you really expect them to give up their battle without a fight? I don't, and I won't breath a sigh of relief until they are out of office or held accountable, but I personally don't understand how the two can be mutually exclusive. So here's my suggestions for some critical, yet simple actions that we all can take to reinvigorate and strengthen our democracy:

1. Fax your congressman and Senator often. Don't call since there's no paper trail and I dunno about you but I get nervous talking politics to total strangers. Letters get screened and usually unopened since the anthrax bullshit. I don't care what the issue is, just fax them. Congress lives by the ratio of 1:13000, which means that for every 1 person who contacts them about an issue, they figure there are 12,999 more who care just as much but for various reasons can't send the fax themselves. As we all know politicians are pretty spineless, the only problem is that right now we're not the ones with our foots on their collective throat, the defense contractors are. Time to change that. If you're really excited by this action item but don't have a fax, try this out all you need to do is upload a PDF.

2. Pimp the shit out of current.com to everyone you know, and encourage participation. Not a lot of people are aware that right now a cable news outlet exists which is devoid of mindless punditry and allows the community to vote and post stories. Since I've started using the site, I've had many of the stories and comments I've posted gain extremely favorable responses, and my very first video comment was picked for airing. This is people-powered media, and we need everyone to help ensure it's viability. Even as an avid news reader, I'm amazed at the stories I've been exposed to since becoming active in the community that I hadn't typically come across so easily. Plus everyone's super nice, I've had more private correspondences with total strangers who appreciated my thoughts in 2 months on that site than in the 6 years I've been participating at dailykos.com

3. Start blogging. Even if you're just posting links and brief descriptions, it still gets it out there in the ether. The more links that point to an important article or posting the better. The unbiased popularity of the Internet may well be the only thing that saves us.

4. On a similar note, If there's one non-partisan and essential topic that I'd say you're obligated to learn about and spread the word on, it's the importance of network neutrality. http://www.savetheinternet.com Read up on that.

5. Learn HTML. That's just good advice. If the economy ever turns to complete shit, HTML will be the new factory job.

I think an 'ACCOUNTABILITY NOW' bracelet would be a SILENT SCREAM! A form of protest! lol, it even fits, 'A Call to Arms', silently, openly spreading the word, 'ACCOUNTABILITY NOW' on your arm.!

We need every American who wants this administration to be held accountable, to find a voice, 'ACCOUNTABILITY NOW'! (red, white, and blue bracelets)!

A web site could be set up with daily, or weekly things to do. Example: 'Honk your horn Tuesday', 5:00 p.m. Tuesdays, if you’re in a car honk your horn, if you in your home, step outside and toot your 'ACCOUTABILITY NOW' horn. 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, Americans all over the country, honking/tooting their horns. Others would notice!

'ACCOUNTABILITY NOW' - flag Friday. At 5:00 pm Fridays, attach your 'ACCOUNTABILITY NOW' flag to your car window and display it proudly for several minutes, or an hour. Draw a silent acknowledgement from all passers by. If you’re in your home, put your 'ACCOUNTABILITY NOW' flag outside for several minutes, or an hour.

We could promote products of sponsors who represent the views of ‘the many’ instead of ‘propaganda’ for ‘the few’.

If we could get ‘the many’ to show their displeasure, we could get ‘the few’ to be held accountable and shamed for thinking they could get away with it. Eventually mainstream media would realize, we have a voice and ears. We are listening. Spinning is no longer acceptable!

We don't need to wage war! They like war! It would give them reason to use their new 'Crowd Control' toys. We should not provoke them! We should work to expose them!

We need to throw these fuckers in the pen.

I'm pretty fed up, but will never stop trying.

To add on to the great comments above. Any protest before the government should be clean, concise, visible and dead silent. Hang signs, declare your message and then sit down in silence. If it takes hours, days, weeks, months, whatever. Sit outside on the capitol lawns, don't move a muscle. Don't say a word. Keep the message clear and written for all eyes and cameras to see. Those who lift a fist or carry a stone are agents saboteur and should be pointed out and denounced.

Externalizing and acting out of anger and malice will only deliver the same result.

Those in power want martial law and they won't get it.

"The science of war leads one to dictatorship, pure and simple. The science of non-violence alone can lead one to pure democracy."

- Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi

for the fourth of july last year my family made signs and went to the courthouse for a couple of hours. a kid on each of our backs my wife and i silently (well not so silently on my part.. ) protested our involvement in iraq. i did this to teach my children about civic duty. we will do this again this year. we cannot stop fighting tyranny. but unlike the current administration we cannot resort to the tactics of our enemies. non- violence is the only sane approach. and the impact of our family flying signs alone and determined was real i think.
of course it seems to me every time a million people marched on washington d.c with signs in hand sh&^*# changed quickly.