MoveOn.org

This book from political activist group MoveOn.org is organized into five sections: “The Power of Connecting,” “Every Vote Counts,” “The Many Faces of the Media,” “Political Action is Personal,” and “Personal Action is Political.” Each section contains stories from member contributors, followed by tips from MoveOn, for a total of 50 essays discussing various ways to get active in the democratic process. Many of the suggestions seem very obvious (i.e., sign a petition, show more speak to your representative) although there were some rather interesting ones like starting a political book club or salon. Overall, I think I’d recommend it more for teenagers/young adults or new activists than for anyone looking to go beyond the basics. show less

If you feel like the world needs to change but you don't know how to get started on doing your part, this book is here to help. It features 50 personal essays of political action from people all over the US, and each essay has several tips for how you can do something similar in your own life.

A few of the ideas are: starting a political book club, registering voters in likely or unlikely places, taking action with your family, reading more news and watching less TV "news", and so on.

But show more remember -- these are just normal people. They have day jobs, just like you. They have families and demanding kids, just like you. Sometimes they feel like what they think or do doesn't matter, just like you. The only difference is that they've chosen to take a few minutes out of their month or day or week to do something that makes them feel better about themselves and about the direction of their community.

But this lies in all of us. We all have the power to throw off the restraints of despair and rekindle some hope in our lives and the lives of those around us.

I should probably disclose that the essay on page 30 is mine! But this isn't about personal promotion, I assure you. All the proceeds from this book are funneled back into MoveOn.org: http://www.moveon.org/ I have read the essays in this book, and I find them truly inspiring. I hope you will too.

And with that, I'll leave you with these bits of wisdom...

"You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it." --Maya Angelou

"The world is not dangerous because of those who do harm but because of those who look at it without doing anything." --Albert Einstein

"Whatever you do may seem insignificant, but it is most important that you do it." --Mahatma Gandhi show less

A how to book for activists. Mostly just rehashed 1960s idealism. Probably would be considered terribly out of date even such a short time later, because most efforts of this sort now spend a great deal of time talking about the Internet, social networking, and the use of texting and tweeting. Not a terribly compelling read, either.

This is a description of things anyone can do to become a catalyst for change and help reclaim democracy. The actions run the gamut, from things that take little effort to things that take a more considerable amount of effort.

The first step is to connect with other people. Start a website or blog, and let people know that it exists. Speak out online. Email the President (and other politicians). Spread the word about online petitions. Vote, no matter what. Register voters in unlikely places. show more Get your office to vote. Maximize the vote on election day. Participate in a phone bank.

Then there is the news media. Read more, watch TV news less. If you know that a piece of reporting is biased, don’t sit and fume, respond to it. Tell the media about uncovered events. Start a political book club. Try your hand at writing an op-ed piece. If you don’t like the media, make your own.

In the area of politics, start with writing to Congress. Support clean elections. Volunteer for, or help run, a campaign. Donate money, or host a house party. Run for office, if only to force the incumbent to actually debate the issues. Investigate your state’s laws about initiating a constitutional amendment; if it’s possible, do it. Serve your community. Take action with your family. Host a political salon. Help others express their political views. If possible, get a socially responsible day job, or bank with or invest in groups that strengthen communities.

This book is excellent. The individual essays are written by actual MoveOn members. Some of the actions may seem like common sense, but everyone needs occasional reminders. These actions can be done by anyone, regardless of age, income level, amount of available time or walk of life. Anyone who wants to get involved in this thing called democracy would do very well to start right here. show less