Monthly Archives: November 2004

Re: Something to mull over

Holly replied to my reply to her message. Since the rant list is set up as a one-way conduit of information (e.g. I get to rant, you get to read, or unsubscribe) I felt it best to forward her reply to the list.

Best regards,
-nic

——– Forwarded Message ——–
From: Holly
To: Nic
Subject: Re: Something to mull over
Date: Fri, 5 Nov 2004 11:51:25 -0600

I really am peaked by your idea of creating a progressive business networking organization and would like to explore this idea with you further on how we can make it a reality locally. In regards to the MMAC, let’s talk because I have some real issue with that organization as well.

Also, if you will allow me to expand…I quite frankly think we are in “civil war” (for lack of a better term) here in the “homeland” and the American way of life is over as we know it for the rest of my life time and yours. Am I being melodramatic? Possibly, but that’s how I feel today

Maybe I have a simplistic “eye for an eye” approach when I suggest boycotting specific businesses and mimicking a practice which has been done repeatedly, but why not send a message to where it really
counts…in their wallets. Companies pull ads from TV shows they find offensive, others market themselves as Christian businesses to attract like customers, urban blacks are encouraged to shop locally and support
local business. Is this right? Do these tactics work? I don’t know.

What is right anymore and what works anymore?

(I agree no one has kept tabs on all the businesses who proudly displayed Bush/Cheney signs, I realize that I might accidentally patronize a Bush/Cheney supporter owned business, but I have kept track in my neighborhood. I refuse to eat at Mama Mia’s and Marty’s Pizza again. I will also never shop at Lakeside Marine or have printing done at Small Press on National Ave. It’s a small thing I am suggesting and I think it will help me personally maintain a bit of dignity right now.)

As you know, I have been discriminated against countless times as a women and a lesbian. You also know that I have lived my life with an open mind, inviting of new ideas and people from all walks of life and backgrounds with different philosophies, etc. You also know that I possess a live and let live attitude. but, damn it, I’ve had it. The vast majority of Republicans sent a clear message to me in this election about how they feel about my rights…I take it personally and feel very threatened, disenfranchised and fragmented on what to do next. It is a deeply chilling environment and I am tired of being treated like a second class citizen.

You also know that I cherish the idea of building a better society for all, not just for myself, but right now I am being very selfish and protective of what personally effects me (I know – a very isolationism way of thinking) and I am tying to figure out the best approach for me to handle how I am feeling and what to do about those feelings. And, how I can put this energy (anger) into action.

Maybe we all need to explore more extreme tactics? Maybe we have to quit being “so nice” for awhile to get back to the ideals this country was founded on? Maybe we have to “sell” on fear? Maybe we have to be civilly
disobedient? Maybe the gay community needs to band together and quit paying taxes until we have the same rights of everyone else? Maybe I should seek political asylum in Canada? Maybe workers need to strike?
Maybe riots should take place? I am not suggesting we completely “dumb down”, but I do think we need to start thinking outside the box on our next steps. We need to re-evaluate our approaches and our messages and
discover ways to most effectively maintain the ideals this country was founded upon.

In the meantime, I am thinking of little ways I can “fight back” and maintain some dignity.

Again, I agree that one way we can do this is to support local progressive businesses when possible and boycotting those who support this administration.

Some sober thoughts from Wauwatosa

My sister Sarah wrote the following message (below) within the context of a longer message. I thought it bore further dissemination (with her permission, of course).

By the way, this makes me think of a story I heard from our firend Mary. She called on election night, while she was wating for vote totals from a polling place on the South side of Milwaukee. She told me about a woman she met there, a poll worker for the Republican party. “It was
just like that skit on Saturday Night Live” Mary reported, this black woman in a bright orange tee shirt working for the republicans because they paid her. “Did they buy your vote too?” Mary asked her. “No, they ain’t getting that!” the woman responded with the flash of a smile. Mary noticed a missing tooth in the woman’s smile, and then the poll worker paused, reached into her purse and put something in her mouth. She smiled again, this time a perfect row of teeth. “I’ll give you my nice smile. They made me wear this ridiculous orange shirt, so I gave them my best Jack-o-Lantern smile!”

Okay, Jack-o-Lanterns for BC-04!

-nic
——– Forwarded Message ——–
From: Sarah
To: Nic
Subject: Couple things
Date: Fri, 5 Nov 2004 08:13:25 -0600

Sorry to be silent for so long this week…

As for politics – gee whillikers! – I think it is high time the Democrats recognize this is a business. Amazing to hear Scott Walker [Milwaukee County Exec., ardent Republican, worm -nic] of all people on WUWM a couple days ago attributing the K-E success in Milw County to MoveOn. He derided the disorganization of the Dems, and gave the win to the mobilization of the 527’s. At his polling place, like mine in Tosa, there were two MoveOn volunteers. No Dems. Same at the ward in West Allis were John spent Nov. 2: 5 or 6 from MoveOn, no Dems. The Republicans rented vans and hired temps for election day. By the way, my own ward went 736 for Bush and 735 for Kerry. Too bad Emily didn’t vote absentee, so we could all feel better.

At our house, in the two weeks prior to the election, we received three well-spaced mailings from the RNC addressed to the former owner of our house. Each was about “moral values”. Big surprise, then, that 22% identify moral values as their number 1 issue. Direct mail theory states
you will seal the deal with the third mailing. There were no mailings from the DNC, except those Carville letters asking for money, and ones from local candidates. And of course, the whole moral value thing is classic bait-and-switch, to cover for whatever true agenda will come down the pipeline. Whatever the true agenda is, it will not morally or economically improve the lives of the majority of those who voted Bush. And, obviously, nor will a boycott. At my office, the talk is all about emigrating to Canada, or about only vacationing in blue states, or about wearing mourning for the next four years. I wish the talk were about being, acting, and executing smarter. The time has come and gone for the left to start thinking outside the box. It has never been more urgent than it is now. It may even be time for our generation, and the one which precedes us, to concede leadership and let some new ideas and some real 21st century strategy drive whatever movement evolves out of this miasma.

End of rant….

Fwd: My Election Night Phone Call: Inspiring

My friend Geri, with whom I went to campaign in Iowa for Dean:
http://politics.postilion.org/deanjournal.html
sent me this diary recounting her election night experiences. It is recommended reading for disappointed activists everywhere.

Thanks for sharing, Geri!

Best regards,
-nic

——– Forwarded Message ——–
From: Geri
To: nic
Subject: My Election Night Phone Call: Inspiring
Date: Fri, 5 Nov 2004 07:52:36 -0500
My Diary entry from Election Day…

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2004/11/4/202941/652

Re: Something to mull over

On Thu, 2004-11-04 at 18:53 -0600, Holly wrote:

> You knew I was going to have to say something sooner or later after
> “Black Tuesday.” I was in such mourning yesterday that I didn’t want
> to talk to anyone…today, I am on a roll. My first next step, let’s
> get active agenda item is the press. I am sure as my thoughts collect
> and the mourning fog lifts, I will share (Spam?) other ideas including
> my suggestion to stop doing business with any establishment that had
> Bush/Cheney signs in their windows or yards. And tell them why you are
> no longer doing business with them.

I cannot disagree more with this tactic. While it may provide a temporary lift to you to carry out this kind of protest, there are a couple of problems. One, who amongst us has kept tally of such offending businesses? Two, do we really want to live in a society wherein expressing one’s political views imperils one’s business? I would find this to be a deeply chilling environment, especially living, as we do, in a majority stupid country. I certainly would not want to face discrimination because I placed Kerry/Edwards signs on my front lawn. Reminds me of an entry from David Letterman’s Top Ten list tonight, “Revoke tax cut for 55 million American’s who voted for Kerry.”

If you really feel so passionately about this, then think of a more constructive, not destructive approach. For example, I have long lamented the fact that to conduct business in this city and state, one must belong to business organizations which take, and fund, political positions at odds with my own. Holly your, and my, company is a member of the Milwaukee Area Chamber of Commerce. That business group, along with the national parent organization and the statewide Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce, pours huge amounts of money into the Republican campaigns, as well as school board races in Milwaukee (and elsewhere) and other causes which we find reprehensible. How can you threaten to boycott local businesses for advertising the owner’s political beliefs when your own business is a member of groups like these? I think that the more beneficial course of action is to spearhead the formation of progressive business groups, ones that would provide the same networking opportunities to the many business people out there who must hold their noses every year as they renew membership in a right-wing organization which is fundamentally at odds with their own political persuasion.

> The first thing I think we can all do for ourselves as “elitist,
> LIBERAL DEMOCRATS,” (that’s what the enemy Republicans calls us and,
> heck, if that’s what I am then I wear that label proudly. I’d rather
> be that than a religiously brained-washed, rednecked, zealot…anyway
> I digress), is to digest, and encourage others to digest, and support
> alternative press. Stop watching Rupert Murdock’s right-wing agenda
> propaganda filled media machine and dive into the following…
>
> www.tompaine.com
> www.motherjones.com
> www.tnr.com (The New Republic)
> www.thenation.com

In a similar vein, I received this message tonight from a Howard Dean/Democracy for America/etc. group. I think that your views are remarkably close:

> Subject:
> We Lost – This is what We Must Do
> NOW
> Date:
> Fri, 5 Nov 2004 01:54:17 -0500
> (00:54 CST)
>
> Ok so Bush is back in power. I think most people that this email gets to will
> agree that the mass media played a definative role in this outcome.
>
> After the War in Iraq “ended”, surveys found that 60% of the US population had
> misconceptions concerning the war. And this is not just an initial war time
> shock situation since 49% of Americans continue to believe Iraq had actual WMD
> or a major WMD program(programs on International Policy Attitudes).
>
> If we want to have a progressive society we need a news media network that
> informs our citizens, and provides a free flow of information. In many ways we
> already have it with the alternative media. The problem is that the general
> public does not know about the alternative media. In my opinion we should
> start right this second to support and build the alternative media and do our
> best to push it into mainstream consciousness.
>
> I have recently started an organization who’s entire objective is to build a
> portal to the alternative media and promote it to the general public. We are
> just getting started now, our website was just launched today at
> www.coanews.org – We are only now building momentum but we are building
> partnerships with other alt media organizations to help us accomplish this huge
> and important task.
>
> So anyone who gets this email, we would love to know what you think of this
> project – email steve_at_coanews.org with questions and comments.
>
> If you believe in this project please sign up for small monthly donations if you
> can – http://coanews.org/donate.html
>
> If you want to support this project in other ways you may join our grassroots
> support team at:
> https://lists.resist.ca/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/aoa
>
> If we work together we can build a better media system, and a better society.
>
>
> Please pass this on to anyone who you think would be interested in this project.

I applaud the new found voice of Americans all over. We all had the wind knocked out of us, and it has taken a day or two for us to regain our voices, our sense of humor (black tho it may be) and try to find a compass to guide us forward into the next course of this relentless campaign.