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| From Flickr by Demoshelsinki |
Activism can also be hard, but if you start off with easy you'll probably like it and keep it up. Until recently it wasn't a big deal if you didn't care about activism, didn't like it and didn't get involved. Those days are behind us now that activism may be our last best hope for returning to a government of the people, by the people and for the people. More on that later.
To get the obligatory definition on record, activism is simply an active effort to bring about change.
The "active effort" part is what keeps a lot of us couch potatoes on the side lines, especially when it involves marching, sitting in, hunger striking or getting arrested. Those forms of activism fall into the "hard" category. While these activities are noble (assuming a noble cause), they can be out of the question for those otherwise occupied supporting and raising a family, those with limitations, physical or otherwise, which preclude getting involved to that extent, and those who are by nature among the complacent majority.
We can divide "easy" activism into two broad categories.
- Spreading the word.
- Modifying personal preferences.
These are things just about anyone can engage in regardless of their situation. While easy in terms of effort required, a psychological barrier remains for many. Humans are generally social by nature, which inevitably results in some degree of pressure to be accepted by ones peers; peer pressure if you will. Few want to be known as that wild eyed radical guy or gal. Our focus will be on things you can do that your peers probably won't consider too radical and that will generally be viewed favorably.
Before you can get started you will need a cause. To be an effective activist you should choose a cause that either "strikes a chord" with you or one that you have come to realize is so important that you must do something to bring about the change inherent in the cause. Here are some examples of causes that stir the passion of (strike a chord with) those who share the feeling noted. Presented in alphabetical order:
- Animal rights for people who love animals.
- Economic issues for people directly affected by economic inequity.
- Environmental issues for people who love nature and being outdoors.
- Health issues for people who are affected by specific medical conditions.
- Human rights for people moved by inhumane acts against others.
- Peace for people who despise the futility of war.
- Political issues for people who are politically engaged.
- Social issues for people who are moved by the unfair treatment of others.
These are just a few of the possibilities. There are many, many more; the list being limited only by the range of issues about which people have strong feelings.
On rare occasion a cause comes along that is so important that it inspires people who would not otherwise care to realize that they must take action. We have witnessed or learned of life changing efforts in what is now the United States as exemplified by the following actions. Presented more or less chronologically:
Again the list is not comprehensive. The purpose is to show that some causes gain widespread support among the general population and end up bringing about change which shapes the future and affects us all.
That brings us to the cause we'll adopt to illustrate how even a couch potato can wake up and take action. This cause addresses a clear and present danger to every one of us. We've already seen the effects of the issue to be addressed by this cause. Left unchanged, future effects threaten our very way of life.
The issue is the influence of money on our political system. The effect is to deny the vast majority of us a voice in actions taken by our government. More directly our government is no longer "of the people, by the people and for the people". Countless decisions have been made, and are being made, that favor those who buy influence as they work to the detriment of you and me. The cause is an active effort to remove the influence of money from our political system.
Money has always equated to influence and power to some degree. Rarely has that influence been so insidiously dangerous and corrupting as what we've seen over the past twenty years. Like many of the issues that led to movements in the above list, this issue has grown and festered over time. Just recently a tipping point was reached; the wound has broken open such that a call to action is making headlines.
Movements supporting this cause are growing exponentially as we, the complacent majority, wake up and realize that we must take action. This cause has awakened this couch potato and it is the motivation for creating this blog as well as other activities, all of which represent forms of activism. In future posts sufficient evidence will be laid out for you to review the cause for yourself; make your own critical evaluation; take action as you see fit.
Even if you decide this is not the cause for you, stick around and learn how to take action in support of whatever cause "strikes a chord" with you. Until next time, que le vaya bien...Steve
- The Colonial Revolutionary movement protesting taxation and oppression.
- Various movements protesting the inhumanity and inequity of slavery.
- Various movements protesting unfair and unsafe working conditions.
- The Suffragette movement promoting the right of women to vote.
- The Temperance movement protesting the consumption of alcohol.*
- Post WWII Peace movements promoting peaceful resolution of conflicts.
- Post WWII Labor movements promoting fair pay and a humane workplace.
- Post WWII Anti-war movements promoting an end to specific wars.
- Post WWII Women's rights movements promoting equal rights for women.
- Voting rights movements promoting inclusiveness in the election process.**
- The Civil Rights movement promoting equal rights for all citizens.
* Not every successful activist movement ends up on the right side of history.
** Resulted in the Voting Rights Act in 1965 and a constitutional amendment lowering the voting age to 18 in 1971.
That brings us to the cause we'll adopt to illustrate how even a couch potato can wake up and take action. This cause addresses a clear and present danger to every one of us. We've already seen the effects of the issue to be addressed by this cause. Left unchanged, future effects threaten our very way of life.
The issue is the influence of money on our political system. The effect is to deny the vast majority of us a voice in actions taken by our government. More directly our government is no longer "of the people, by the people and for the people". Countless decisions have been made, and are being made, that favor those who buy influence as they work to the detriment of you and me. The cause is an active effort to remove the influence of money from our political system.
Money has always equated to influence and power to some degree. Rarely has that influence been so insidiously dangerous and corrupting as what we've seen over the past twenty years. Like many of the issues that led to movements in the above list, this issue has grown and festered over time. Just recently a tipping point was reached; the wound has broken open such that a call to action is making headlines.
Movements supporting this cause are growing exponentially as we, the complacent majority, wake up and realize that we must take action. This cause has awakened this couch potato and it is the motivation for creating this blog as well as other activities, all of which represent forms of activism. In future posts sufficient evidence will be laid out for you to review the cause for yourself; make your own critical evaluation; take action as you see fit.
Even if you decide this is not the cause for you, stick around and learn how to take action in support of whatever cause "strikes a chord" with you. Until next time, que le vaya bien...Steve
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