As I see my Facebook friends debate over politics and share in the concern
for our country's liberties, rights, and stability, all I keep asking myself
is, "what can one person do?" I honestly want to know what I can do
personally to make a difference in my country and change things for the better.
I don't want our civil liberties removed. I don't want to change the
constitution that was drafted by amazing American's who were much smarter and educated
than I am (and much smarter than today's politicians). These men came from a country that was in tyranny and they knew firsthand
what happened when rights were removed and liberties were withheld. They knew
it and they planned a constitution that protected the people from the
government.
Why in the world are we letting our government remove rights that were
intended to protect Americans from the government?
Does anyone else find it amazing that the government is planning to restrict
2nd amendment rights in order to protect Americans from themselves? Aren't you
so glad that we have a big brother that is
so worried about our protection that
they make sure that we can't protect ourselves from those who would cause us
harm. Okay, back to the question at hand:
What Can One Person Do?
Register to Vote
I know this is basic, but I truly believe that there are many people who are
not registered to vote. With my husband's job, I move around a lot and do not
always take the time to register in my new state. I should! Always! So should
you. Contact your local court house and get registered to vote. Each vote makes
a difference, one election at a time.
Become an Advocate
As citizens in the United States of America, we have the power to influence
our government for the better. Becoming an Advocate involves educating local
and federal legislature on specific needs that affect citizens in their
districts and communities. Here is the difference between advocacy and lobbying: :Lobbying is
about directly influencing the local and federal legislature and encouraging them to
pass specific bills, while Advocacy is about educating and showing the needs of the
community and their constituents. If you choose to become an advocate check out
the PDF below written by the Psoriasis Action Network. It lays out the steps
that a bill takes in the congress and senate and shows how advocates
can work for change along the way. Wonderful resource.
Stage a Social Protest
1. Choose a specific topic to protest. Keeping your topic focused makes your
efforts worthwhile and allows people to join in knowing what the protest is
working towards. Be clear, precise, and know why you are doing what you are
doing. Ask for what you want; know what you want to achieve.
2. Research the topic thoroughly before proceeding. Know everything there is
to know about this topic that you are choosing to demonstrate the need for
change by a protest. Find dependable resources that confirm you are supporting
a justified need for change. Locate newspaper articles, books, online credible
resources, and talk to local officials before you move forward. Choose to
educate yourself before staging your protest. Only truth will further your
cause, one false fact can destroy the integrity of the protest.
3. Gather others to your cause. If you sit with a sign at your local
courthouse, you may raise a few eyebrows, but you won't demonstrate a united
front that demands a change. Find friends, family, co-workers, and others
around you who agree with your cause and are willing to stand with you to show
others that they also see the need for a change. Depending on the size of your
protest, find a small group to delegate tasks to in order to keep the protest
organized and running smoothly.
4. Pick a location where you will be seen and your cause will be heard. If
you are protesting the passing of a bill, go to the county courthouse. If you
are protesting a business that holds to poor business practices, go to the
front of the business. You need to be off private property so be sure that your
group knows to stay on the street or sidewalk.
5. Talk to the local police to discuss the legality of your proceedings. To
stage a protest in some areas you may need to have a permit to protest.
Consider local laws when organizing your protest and educate yourself to uphold
the law.
6. Choose a date and time for your social protest. Make sure to leave enough
time for others to join your protest. Advertise your protest in advance! Use
social networking to boost the awareness for your cause and your protest. Begin
a Facebook page, a blog, a twitter account just for this cause. Use them to
give information on the protest and the change that you are working towards. Do
not let them become a free for all for bashing the government, a local
business, or another entity. This is not helpful and will discredit your
endeavors. You may even want to notify the local newspapers, radio stations,
and news stations to encourage their reporting on your event.
7. Educate your social protest group in advance. Let them know where it is
okay to stand, where to park, what the protest is demonstrating, and encourage
them to maintain a peaceful yet obvious protest. Suggest ideas for signs,
posters, and create a printable PDF that can be printed out by protesters in
advance to hand out during the protest. Find a local printer who supports your
cause, they may even volunteer to make signs, flyers, and pamphlets for free.
Remember to pull out your cell phones to take pictures and video the day’s events,
encourage your protesters to do the same thing.
8. Meet at the location on the appointed day before the appointed time. As
the protest organizer, people will be looking to you to guide them on the day
of the social protest. Be professional, be organized, and continue to educate
your protesters on the cause as well as those who come to witness the protest.
Some will support your cause, some will likely disagree . . . quite harshly.
Encourage your protesters to remain calm and to not respond to those who
disagree in harsh ways. You set the tone for the protest, make it a protest
that none will forget and further your cause!
9. Prepare a next step to your protest. Your cause is not complete, so why
stop there? Consider putting together a petition to urge people to listen. Be
sure to raise awareness for your Facebook page, blog, or Twitter in order to
keep people aware of your ongoing efforts. Keep supporting your cause until you
get heard. Many protests do not make a mark because after one event, they go
home and forget it ever happened. Don't forget and remind others that the cause
still needs to be heard.
Join With Others
Maybe you aren't the type to stage a protest. You can still make a
difference by following those who are working towards a big change. For
instance, many feel that establishing a third party would radically change
America for the better. Why only have the choice between two pompous
politicians whose wallets are padded by those who wish to further their own
agendas not the agendas of the whole of American? The solution? A third party
or for that matter a fourth party and a fifth. Why limit the ballot to three
good men or four? Let's get real Americans into the government! Real men or
women with real jobs and not a whole lot of money. Or what about a group that
is working towards legislation to stop politicians from receiving money and
rewards for voting a certain way? I was taught that receiving money in exchange
for an influenced vote is bribery. Let's stop accepting legalized bribery of
our politicians! Join with others and make a difference for your cause.
Have a cause? Do you want to add to my list? If I am not a proponent for your cause,
I will not add it to the blog, but I will leave it in the comments below. I'd be
happy to have a long list of parties and causes that will encourage American's jump
up and make a difference. We must make a difference before it's too late.
