THE FIRST STEPS
First, you must determine your goal. What problem
or problems do you want to tackle? Of course you really can't take on everything, but you can do something. So,
what is it that you want to do?
Next, you will want to decide just how you are going to
form up and how you are going to attack the problem (or problems) of your choice. Are you planning to start out as a
group of friends and grow from there? Are you planning on appealing to others in the community? Or, are you thinking
of joining an existing group, local, regional or national?
If you're planning on your own group, can you and your friends
put together a little flyer that tells what you are all about and what the problems are all about? (You can use any
of the material on this web site and in the associated book, if that will help you.)
Are there any talk radio programs in your area? Do
your best to get on and talk to your community. Also, try to get acquainted with editors and/or reporters on your local
paper. They are often very suspicious and sometimes not too friendly, so you really do want to try and make friends
with the media if you can.
DEVELOP A STATEMENT OF PURPOSE AND CONDUCT
Put together a well thought out position paper
and have it available for everyone to sign who wants to come on board. It should be a paper that clearly describes where
you're going and why and that what you do together must be done intelligently and with maturity of behavior and in the spirit
of cooperation.
In other words, it's a team effort and one in which the
lines of communication are open with everybody. And, in the process, you must watch out for those few opportunists who
may sneak into your group with unwanted personal baggage and ulterior motives that are not at all appropriate to the cause.
GETTING INTO ACTION
Have your people study this web site and the book and any
other good materials you can get your hands on. Discuss it all thoroughly. Then, start making those contacts with
the media and with distribution of your flyers.
By way of example...
If you want to get involved with the "tea party" activities
and similar things like that, you will want to see the page where we list the Important National "Movement" Groups and you may also want to see the page that starts you NAVIGATING the ACTION pages. (Yes, you can click on those pages listed above. They are "links" and will take you right to the page you want.)
If you're going to get into the problems in Social Security,
you will want to get in touch with retirement complexes and senior citizen centers and the like. You should get some
good information there and some support as well. And don't forget to get in touch with your representatives in Washington.
(Yes, you've got to be willing to reach out to some of the many older folks who are victims, and to our politicians who have
often made us victims as well.)
If you're planning to tackle the mess in our justice system,
you will want to reach out to the public in every way that you can. Call your local talk shows. Send "letters
to the editors."
Don't be afraid to reach out. You'll find a lot of sympathy out there. Turn it
into support and then into action. And again, don't forget to request the support of your representatives for appropriate
legislation. (And if they won't help --- do what it takes to VOTE THEM OUT OF OFFICE !)
If you want to try and clean up our politics, you
will want to find good politicians you can work with (a rare find) or go after good and very capable folks you can persuade
to run for office. (Of course you'll have to really get behind the ones you persuade. They won't get far without
you.) And get into the parties and change them from the inside. (And you might want to use the Politicians' Pledge
that we have on this site.)
Most other projects will require similar efforts as described
here. And, of course, you have many different groups that you can contact. (See our resource pages on this site.)
Also remember, some of your good contacts might be found on the Internet.
And don't forget to take full advantage of e-mail.
And you might even want to put together a little web site. Some of them can be built very easily and at no cost to you
whatsoever.
And, if the media in your area isn't cooperating very much,
really do what I've suggested,.... reach out with Letters to the Editor, from each of you and often. You can also
do the same sort of blitzing on your local talk radio programs. You can really let them know you're there.
And, don't forget, this site is full of all sorts of resources
for you and so is the book. Take full advantage of everything and don't forget that you can reach us in person through
our e-mail address. We want to help you all we can. We want you to be very successful with this effort.
So, let's get started!
