Respond to the Hype!

The father of former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Tip O'Neill gave him a bit of advice as he struggled early on in his career of public service: "All politics is local."

VOTE

I've seen that every other day this election year as I've worked with dozens of local organizations and spent quality time with many local politicians. I've seen things and had conversations that truly depressed me, sucking my enthusiasm for life right out of me - especially at the national level. However, I've seen things and talked to people locally that renew the vigor of my spirit, making up for those days when I didn't want to roll out of bed.

We're having to retool our economy and our communities for a new 21st century reality. Out-dated business models and old habits are reluctantly having to be scrapped all the time now. People older and younger are reinventing paths to progress, as they reinvent fundamental things like how we communicate with each other. Along the way, across all generations, we're reinventing ourselves and our communities.

This reinvention is often messy and frustrating, but what we achieve in the end is worth it because we must evolve to survive. That's how the USA was formed, how we grew to flourish, and what we will do again and again despite our bickering in order to form a more perfect union.

So when I hear the news hype that there is an enthusiasm gap in participating in the democratic process, I think it's because so many in the community are focused in the moment on what the're doing to get by at home. Many are frustrated that, while there is this incredible creative shift in the USA, we still have leaders who are struggling to evolve to lead us in this new century.

We do have capable election choices walking the streets, attending public events - and I've met many that are working just as hard as we are to discard old habits and create new solutions for a new century. Please take some time to read up on candidates, cast your vote this November, and then band together with your neighbors to check up on those elected officials every now and then. Today, I've included some helpful links for the election - voting starts October 18th! In the coming months, we're going to highlight ways and provide information on how to check up on your public servants comfortably. (You might have to stretch your legs or writing hand once or twice though!)
For now... Respond to the hype: Participate.

Your Checklist:

Check your local newspaper's voter's guide.
Click here to find your local League of Women Voters Chapter and see if they have bipartisan candidate forums in your area.
For detailed info on early voting locations and times:
Collin County - http://www.co.collin.tx.us/elections/index.jsp
Dallas County - http://www.dalcoelections.org/
Denton County - http://elections.dentoncounty.com/go.asp?Dept=82
Tarrant County - http://www.tarrantcounty.com/evote/site/default.asp
Take a friend or neighbor to the polls with you - we're in this together as a community!

Be Well and Be Progressive,

Progressive Center Events:

Street Law: a Civil Rights Forum
Saturday, September 25th, 9:30am sign-in, 10:00am to Noon event
What is a civil rights abuse? If your civil rights have been abused, what do you do? Diana Clark, head of the NAACP Legal Redress Committee, has invited experts to fill a panel of experts to talk about what your civil rights are in Texas and what you can do when you feel you've been wronged. The emphasis for this forum will be on 4th Amendment concerns about unreasonable searches and seizures. The panel will be taking questions and offering very preliminary advice for what can be very complicated situations.

Two Perspectives on Local Community Organizing
Thursday, September 30th, 7:30pm sign-in, 8:00pm to 10:00pm event
Join us as we have two notable local activists discussing their work and their perspective on local community organizing in North Texas. Our guest speakers:
Kelli Obazee - Executive Director, Dallas Peace Center
Billy MacLeod - local activist and former Dallas City Council candidate
Ms. Obazee will be discussing her work with the respected Dallas Peace Center, and Mr. MacLeod will be sharing his experiences working as a neighborhood organizer for Texas Campaign for the Environment and Community Ambassador for Freedom Release.Org, as well as his work in local politics. Both will be sharing their success stories in mobilizing, and discussing with the audience the ups and downs of getting better involved at the grassroots level.