Ease of Internet Activism

For the next few blogs, I intend to explore the ease of internet activism.

It has occurred to me that not everyone is familiar with the opportunities for involvement that are only a mouse-click away. The speed and ease of internet technologies has enabled Americans on the plus, plus side of the digital divide to have more opportunities to have their voices heard and participate in our representative democracy.

MoveOn!

My explorations into internet activism moved began three years ago when I began to get emails forwarded to me by people who belonged to MoveOn.org http://moveon.org/

By February 2003 it was getting more and more difficult to stay immersed in graduate studies. In a few of my seminars we discussed the pending war more than our dissertations. I remember joining a Yahoo group for my hometown where the pro's and con's Iraq war was the main topic. A few of my fellow students had forwarded emails from MoveOn.org that had access to petitions, video, and ad's asking that Bush not go to war.

You can read an excellent history of MoveOn.org at Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MoveOn

My familiarity with MoveOn.org and related internet activist portals grew in the time leading up to November 2004. MoveOn.org had stepped up emails to show support for John Kerry, to re-address the SwiftBoat campaign, and to just get out the vote in general.

As you can see from the image in this blog, internet activism easily moves back and forth between cyberspace and the real world. Internet activist organizations inform more people, build coalitions, and give options for not only getting your voice heard but also for hands on involvement.

One issue with the various internet activism portals is keeping poltical action committees straight, they seem to endlessly overlap. For example, I recall finding a link to the Americans for Change through MoveOn.org. Americans for Change is apparently assciated with America Votes http://americavotes.org/, which according to Wikipedia is non-partisan political organization formed in July 2003 and made up of a coalition of 527 grassroots political groups to coordinate their work in the swing states during the 2004 presidential election.

Not Much of a Joiner

I had never been to protest marches and vigils before. When I lived in Phoenix I saw the people who protested against homosexuality or people who protested the film "Rules of Engagement." I had friends who traveled to Florida to protest the WTO, but I was never involved in any of the rallies or protests.

My entrance into internet political activism increased as a skill in sorting through emails, responding to surveys, petitions, and submitting letters to representatives.

I remember watching the speeches for the anniversary of Roe VS. Wade in 2004 and wanting to participate in MARCH FOR WOMEN'S LIVES. Unfortunately, I had a conference and was out of town. It hurt to be so close to the action, but not really being the type of person who is compelled to join large groups of people for any reason (not even a rock concert). I wanted to get more involved in the action and was lucky to have found another outlet: http://www.meetup.com/

In 2005, I began to actually attend a Meet Up. This was my first adventure into what felt like an actual activist community, which I found via the web and my participation in internet activist outlets. I had joined two democratic Meet Ups and visited a few others in the DC metro area. The people who organized the Arlingtonians/Alexandrians for Virginia, began the group after the Howard Dean campaign fizzled.

The organizers have stayed affiliated with Democracy for America, the grassroots campaign initiated by Dean. They also became involved with the state-wide organization Democracy for Virginia. Hosting a Meet Up site was once free, when a charge was instituted; the organizers moved the group to a serviced hosted by Democracy for America Link Ups. http://www.dfalink.com/

Being new to the Metro and wanting to participate in the political process, I think it was a big help for me to feel connected to online community. I also think it was very therapeutic to believe that there were other people interested in democratic processes. Many will agree that these three years of war have contributed to a growing sense that what citizens want might not matter. People protest against war and it does not influence decisions. I actually got the feeling that Pres. Bush and his supporters found it a point of pride to be able to dismiss any voices of dissent.

Do More than Vote: Be Heard

But what did I do, what have I done to help put progressive grassroots politicians into office? What have I done to tell my representatives what I think is in my best interest? Aside from voting...before I joined internet activist communities: nothing! I believed myself to be too swamped in my studies and work to take the time to write a few letters, attend vigils, or go to protests.

Now, I probably send one letter to my representatives or sign a petition every other month. I tend to use Congress. org at http://www.congress.org/congressorg/home/to get the contact information for my representatives. I use this site to look over a bill or to read letters other people are sending.

I also go to sites like NARAL Pro-Choice America at http://www.naral.org/ or Planned Parenthood at http://www.plannedparenthood.org/ to sign petitions and find drafts to letters that are particular to my pet causes.

If you are busy, or you feel too busy, and you do not identify with the masses attending vigils or protests YOU CAN STILL GET YOUR VOICE HEARD!!

1. Write a Letter
2. Sign a Petition
3. Talk to your Friends and Neighbors about your Letters and Petitions

PROS and CONS of Internet Activism

These are three easy ways to begin. Three ways made easy by internet activism sites.Below, I have outlined a few Pro's and Con's of internet activism.

Pro's

• stay in you home/office/library
• no need to interact with other people, unless so desired
• if you desire interaction you can comment on BLOGs or attend local event
• become a local leader by hosting events related to your cause of choice
  find form letters with key points ready for you to tailor to your liking and send to your representative
• sign up for TAKE ACTION alerts, this is particularly helpful when you have a busy life. This way when a bill is about to pass or for some reason people need to make an effort to get their voices heard to impact the situation you will be on call!
• quick access to petitions
• quick access to read legislation and find out where a bill is on its way to becoming law
  because there are so many initiatives with action alerts and form letters, etc.
• track several issues at once.

Con's

• may need to submit name and address
• more emails for your INBOX
• might lose interest in reading a bill or research issue on your own and begin to take someone else's word on the issue (how bizarre, what an idea!)