You can change the world.
No, really … you can.
OK, so the Bush administration — through near-fascist policies like the Patriot Act, warrantless wiretapping and more — is doing everything in its power to stifle the voices of the people. But that doesn’t mean you can’t still get out there and put a hurting on “The Man.”
And no, we’re not telling you to “Vote or Die.” Real change comes from those who are brave enough to actually do something by any (and all) means necessary.
In the next few pages, you’ll find Creative Loafing‘s Political Action Handbook — it’s chockfull of advice from experts on how you, the average American Joe, can effect change through petitions, boycotts and other forms of “radicalness” you’ve seen or heard about but were afraid to try yourself.
Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to get out there and make the world a better place.
Organize a Boycott
• Do your research. Charlotte is in a unique position as a financial hub, boasting Fortune 500 companies like Bank of America and Wachovia — both of which have seen their fair share of protests. But before you go marching into your local branch making demands and before you call the media, it’s important to do your research. Nothing makes you or your organization look worse than not knowing all the facts about the situation you’re causing a fuss over. Spewing misinformation will quickly lead to you being embarrassed. It’s important to research the history of that company, what principles they were founded on, their history in the community and previous public relations battles.
• Be organized. You better believe that large corporations have the money and the PR power to crush a disorganized uprising. But being organized is harder than it sounds. First of all, you should have a chain of command in your group. “Generally we have a few spokespeople for each campaign to talk to the media, a few people to negotiate and talk to the company and somebody to rally support worldwide,” says Matt Prescott, manager of factory farming campaigns for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. Every successful boycott has had a face that was leading the rallying cry. You need someone outspoken, but rational, near the top.
• Set realistic goals. The chances of you hurting the pockets of a billion-dollar company are slim to none, but you can take minor victories — from shining a negative light on a company, receiving a financial settlement or having that company fund something positive in your community, like an after-school program or a park. “It’s important before launching a campaign to try negotiating,” Prescott says. “We find often we’re ready to launch a boycott against a company but it often doesn’t come to that because the company does what we asked them to.” Prescott also cited a PETA boycott of Kentucky Fried Chicken that’s been going on for four years. “We’re not asking them to sell only soy chicken but to improve conditions for their animals. We’d love it if they stopped selling chicken entirely, but it’s not a realistic goal right now.”
One North Carolina-based boycott that’s gaining steam is against Charlotte-based Bank of America. The boycott urges people to cut ties with the company because of its alleged role in giving illegal immigrants access to bank accounts and credit cards. Although the boycott hasn’t hurt the company’s bottom line, it has been a black eye on Bank of America’s reputation.
For more tips, read the Boycott Organizer’s Guide, a step-by-step manual for effective boycotts published by the non-profit organization Co-Op America. In the guide, Co-Op America highlights boycott victories and helps you choose your boycott target while also setting your goals and getting it off the ground.
– Mike McCray
Contact Your Congressman
• Build your numbers. Show your congressman that this is a serious issue that concerns all constituents. “Numbers who are interested more than anything else,” says Corey Little, the press secretary for Rep. Mel Watt (D – NC, 12th District), on which issues get the most attention.
• Get informed. As an expert on the issue, you will be able to help your congressman not only understand it, but be able to effectively pass on your information.
• Pick a medium. “Due to security screening procedures in the Senate, letters sent through the mail can take up to three weeks to arrive in my Washington office,” Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC) wrote in an e-mail. Even with a phone call, though, the message is written down by hand.
“E-mail is the best way to make sure your whole message gets down,” Little says. By going to the House or Senate Web site, you can easily look up officials by zip code and send the e-mail directly from the site.
If you want to have that human connection, though, you can set up a meeting or head on down to the office. Little says that the best time to catch congressmen in Charlotte is during a congressional recess period. And some officials, like Sen. Elizabeth Dole (R-NC), offer other chances to meet and greet.
“Sen. Dole also directs her staff to hold traveling office hours in counties around the state,” says Katie Hallaway, the communications director for Sen. Dole, so that individuals, “especially those who do not live in close proximity to one of her four North Carolina offices, have the opportunity to discuss their comments and concerns in person.”
• Write the message. Despite the novel you could write on the issue, the best way to get your whole message across is actually to be as concise as possible. Make sure to hit all the key “whys” — why your congressman should listen to you, why the issue relates specifically to your district, why he or she should care — and be helpful. Offer to testify on the issue and suggest solutions. Finally, ask for a response. Although, as Sen. Burr says, “all inquiries from constituents are answered in a timely manner,” asking can help move that process along.
• Sign the message. “It is important that people include their name and contact information if they want a reply,” Hallaway says. Also, if you have multiple supporters, 200 names on one letter are more effective than 200 separate form letters, Little says.
• Send the letter. The fastest way to get your message through is to pick a time when your issue is already on your congressman’s mind — when the legislation concerning your issue is up.
• Follow up. Don’t be afraid to try again. It can’t hurt, and there is always the possibility that the issue just slipped his or her mind (especially if the issue is not part of current legislation).
– Margot Schneider
Create a Petition
According to thiscause.org, there are a few simple steps to writing a petition. The first step is to figure out exactly what you hope to change, and explain it concisely. Next, you must research exactly where to target your petition. For example, an online petition circulating to ban Michael Vick from football for running a dogfighting ring isn’t specifically targeted at Michael Vick. Instead, it’s going to the person with the power to make the necessary change: the head of the NFL. The third and final step is to write a sentence addressing your target and specifying your change. Feel free to search the Internet for ideas of how to word your petition. Remember: it’s not plagiarism, it’s patriotism.
Once you’ve written your petition, it’s time to start gathering names. How you gather names, though, depends on whether you are writing a petition to the government or to a private citizen, business or organization.
Long-time petition manager Sean Haugh, the vice chair of the Libertarian Party in North Carolina, says it’s necessary to request official petition rules when you’re trying to petition your local government. He warns potential petitioners that under North Carolina law, “signature requirements are so high that you have to bring in outside money in order to hire people [to gather signatures].” Because North Carolina law also stipulates that only pen and paper signatures with names, addresses and phone numbers of registered voters are valid, it is very difficult for the average citizen to muster the resources to petition successfully.
Petitions targeting private businesses or organizations, on the other hand, are a lot easier to launch successfully. These petitions are not regulated by legal guidelines and rely solely on the symbolic value of signatures. Signatures represent people, so when one document shows that so many agree that a change must be made, the symbolic value of signatures has the potential to hurt carefully cultivated corporate images or pressure foreign governments to make changes. According to a 2002 study on e-signatures at Stanford University, pen and paper signatures are generally more widely accepted, but acceptance of e-signatures is becoming more common. You can create an online petition at Ipetition.com or Petitionsite.com, where you can advertise and e-mail links to family, friends and like-minded people.
Here are some more tips for success from Haugh:
• “Don’t argue with people. Your job is to get signatures … when you’re debating with people, then first you’re not spending time getting signatures and second you’re turning off everybody around you.”
• Payment centers are an excellent place to find registered voters.
• “When people say no, don’t get discouraged.”
• “Have a pamphlet to hand to people.”
• Make sure people sign their legal name, not their nickname.
• “Smile sweetly at people who want to take issue with you or your petition.”
– Ethan Case
Raise Awareness for Your Cause
• Get the word out. Flyers in the right places can attract the perfect potential audience. Setting up a display table can be a great way to get information out and meet interested people; set up at an event where a lot of people will be walking around. A meeting or event can be difficult to pull off, but if there’s a good turnout, it can be a great catalyst for action. These days it’s crucial that you have a Web presence. Also, a mailing list or e-mail listserv can be extremely helpful in getting support.
• Focus your message. Don’t get bogged down by trying to make your issue too broad. Zimmerman recommends that you “limit the areas of advocacy you want to focus on; otherwise you’ll run out of steam.”
• Know your audience. Research who you’ll be talking to so you can be the most convincing. PETA suggests on its Web site that you customize your arguments to fit your audience so they can relate.
• Get out there. Be out in the community, Blotnick advises. “You need to be out there and be active; get your name in the paper.” Any media coverage you can score is priceless.
• Connect with other groups. Team up with established groups of similar interests; chances are you have the same target audience. Blotnick proposes getting on their mailing list so their members can learn about what you’re doing.
• Get some money. Being an activist isn’t easy, and it’s usually not free either. Zimmerman suggests filing with the IRS for a 501(c)(3) non-profit status. “It allows you to seek tax-deductible donations.”
• Meet people. Finding people who share your mission will help you spread the word. You don’t have to form a group to get a message across, but it will be much easier with more people.
• Seek support. Blotnick recommends finding a mentor. “Find someone who has done this kind of work and been successful — find out how they did it and learn from them.”
• Don’t get burned out. Zimmerman stresses the importance of setting short and long-term goals that “help determine how much time and energy you can devote to something.”
• Be passionate and motivated. “You have to be passionate about your issue or you won’t be as committed to the overtime and little pay. Be personally motivated to put up with some of the more difficult days,” says Blotnick. For Zimmerman, passion is the “fundamental characteristic and driving force that creates non-profits. Never become a CEO!”
– Erin Sutton
Look Like an Activist
This may be due largely to a change on the sentiments of what political activism is all about. Many may be coming to the realization that the anti-war hippies didn’t need to wear bright, groovy colors to strengthen their stance against fascist warmongers and that the Black Panther Party wasn’t dependent upon coal-colored garments to develop their philosophies. After all, activism is about making a cause and following it, not allowing your cause to make you.
Some believe that political activism is solely dependent upon attitude, an attitude that creates a ripple effect of effort and change, which is basically the orgasmic climax for political activists.
According to Lacey Williams, Youth Program Coordinator for the Charlotte Coalition for Social Justice, “you can wear the emblems, buttons and T-shirts that broadcast your cause or you can exemplify it in your actions. People can tell you’re a political activist when you’re at protests and events, when you write letters to members of Congress, and pass out literature to educate the community.” To her, activism is about patience and optimism. Williams asserts that immediate change may not be identifiable, but the committed activist’s passionate efforts may ripple into a century’s worth of political improvements.
The Latin American Coalition’s Director Angeles Ortega-Moore agrees as she states that there is no special dress necessary to proclaim one’s participation in “the movement.” “We speak on behalf of our cause,” she says. “We show our faces at events, and we understand the true need of this country for equality.” She adds, “I know someone is an activist for our cause because they don’t send us nasty letters.”
Extremists often adorn themselves in noticeable attire and markings to bring attention to their causes. From two-foot crosses plastered across their backs to hemp shoes and accessories decorating their bodies, the political extremist is the gung-ho activist sporting passion and enthusiasm for a common cause.
“We need these extremists; they bring necessary attention to otherwise marginalized issues,” says youth activist Elena Horskey. “Maybe they’re only considered extremists because they’re a part of a counter-culture and if everyone wore their beliefs, the extremists would be the non-participants.”
According to gay-rights activist and writer David Moore, “extreme attire isn’t at all what unifies those of a common cause.” He states that it may be the cause itself; just maybe, it’s the idealist attitude that a letter to Congress, a handheld parade sign or a peaceful protest will be the tiny step we need toward unified change.
“Maybe the change we need is to believe that a positive attitude toward a common goal may be just enough to change the world,” Moore says. “And what you wear doesn’t even matter.”
– Jesi Harris
This article appears in Aug 8-14, 2007.
