So last night I was pissed. There I was, reading a diary about
a physical attack on a Kansas University college professor, Paul Mirecki, who had committed the grievous sin (in some eyes) of deciding to teach a class that debunked Intelligent Design as mythology.
Mirecki survived the attack, and emerged from hospital seemingly unrattled, despite being peppered with blows from the fists of two assailants, and being clunked on the head with something "metallic." I was glad to hear the prof would be okay, but I was in no way prepared to just get angry for a day, and then slowly let it all fade into memory.
I wanted to do something that didn't just fight back, but showed the assailants that their actions worked AGAINST their cause. And so I put together a diary that asked for donations to Americans United for the Separation of Church and State, a group at the forefront of the defense of those teaching evolution in schools.
The theory was simple - when wingnuts lash out with fists, I'll lash out with cash. When they attack us in the streets, I'll reward their attack with money to causes they don't like. And since I don't have a whole lot of money, I put out the call for others to join in.
Well, boy howdy, did they join in.
'POSITIVE RESPONSE' NETS AMERICANS UNITED AN ESTIMATED $2000 IN DONATIONS
Daily Kos users contributed in large numbers, with some 120 people claiming they've donated to AU in Paul Mirecki's name so far, and another 140 (at last count) indicating they would if they had the money, or will when they have the money. At an average of $20 per donation (and that's what the average was at 11am yesterday morning, so it's a good guidestick), we're looking at about $2400 - and now OTHER blogs are getting in on the action.
Some donated even though they have little cash to spare. Others donated once and then went back to donate more later on. Others still had been meaning to donate to AU for a while and finally took the plunge. And all in the name of the man beaten by the side of the road for daring to take on Intelligent Design.
We even gave this tactic a nifty new name: Positive Response.
As I sit here, it makes me smile to think about the possibility that the assailants might find out that their action actually fed two grand to the cause they oppose. Those useless redneck hate-criminals, foolishly believing they were 'kicking ass for Christ', got exactly the opposite of the result they wanted. In my opinion, the actions of dKos users are nothing short of political poetry.
So here's an idea: LET'S STEP IT UP A NOTCH!
THE POSITIVE RESPONSE WEB PROJECT:
Here's what I envision - a website where progressives like us can go sign up, see a whole range of causes, and set an amount of money that we will donate whenever that cause is attacked by a conservative nutjob. For example:
- Whenever a Democratic political candidate is Swift-Boated, we donate money to their campaign.
- Whenever an abortion clinic is protested, we donate money to the clinic, or to Planned Parenthood.
- Whenever the ACLU is called a bunch of commies, we donate money to them.
- Whenever a fundamentalist group boycotts a company, we buy the company's product in bulk and give it away to charity.
- Whenever a school district commits to refuse to teach intelligent design, we buy them schoolbooks.
- Whenever Fred Phelps' group pickets a school that refuses to be anti-gay, we send that school money in thanks.
...The possibilities are endless, and the more people that sign up to the system, the less each person needs to donate to make a REAL difference to individual causes. You not only fuel the progressive cause, but you also make the conservatives think twice before attacking their usual targets. Heck, if Fred "psycho nutjob" Phelps knows that a picket protest outside a school will see that school receive a check for $3000, I can only imagine he'd abandon the protest.
This could make a BIG difference in small cause, and a significant difference in big causes. It feeds our causes from both sides - it funds the good stuff, and gives the conservatives disincentive to pull their usual protest/boycott/beatdown crap for fear their actions will just profit their enemies. |
SO HOW CAN WE MAKE THIS HAPPEN?
We need volunteers with skills and time. We need web designers, programmers, bloggers, marketing help, writers and warm bodies with good intentions. We can make this thing happen in quick time, but I can't do it alone. I need your help, your advice, your knowledge, your time, and your love.
Are you ready to stand up to help fight the good fight? Hit the Yahoo Groups logo to the right, and let's crash the gates of the fundies.
HAVE YOU DONATED TO AMERICANS UNITED IN PAUL MIRECKI'S NAME YET?
Fight the bad guys in ways that leave their violence in the dust - donate any amount you can spare ($5 minimum) to the AU.
NOTE: When you make your donation, be sure to use
this link, which allows you to make a contribution in the name of a third party.
Make that contribution in the name of Paul Mirecki, and so we can be sure he KNOWS we support him, put the following details in the form where it allows you to have a letter sent detailing your contribution:
Name: Paul Mirecki
Address #1: The Department of Religious Studies, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Kansas,
Address#2: 1300 Oread Avenue, 102 Smith Hall,
City, state, zip: Lawrence, KS 66045-7615