Hey everyone - I don't post that much, but the recent AstroTurf organization of teabaggers by a few powerful interests to shut down town hall meetings - you know, forums where democracy takes place - has got me worked up into this weird combination of nervous, afraid, and angry. Apologies if a similar diary has already been posted (I scanned the recents).
The special interests have our number on these town hall disasters. At least for the moment. Pronin2's diary on stopping the teabaggers tomorrow in Denver is fantastic, as is the response it generated, but we really, really need to get organized.
More below the fold...
I'm not an organizer, and I have no experience in such things. I vote, I volunteer for campaigns and causes I believe in, and I donate money. But organizing isn't something I know how to do, but it seems like it's something that we as a progressive community really need to get on top of regarding this issue.
This is a plea for people with more experience than I in such matters (Kos comes to mind) to develop some sort of front-page resource where people can easily see when and where these town hall meetings are being organized, and an easy method for people to network. I know there are lots of great, motivated people trying to pull people together via twitter and their own sites, but it would really help if there was some kind of centralized, front-page resource.
I have to admit, I'm scared. We're closer to genuine health care reform than we've ever been in my lifetime, and it absolutely sickens me that a small, negligible minority with loud voices are being trucked into these forums not to participate in a conversation, but to shout down, intimidate, and shut down these events. We can't let this continue to happen, and unless we find a way to get on the ball and at least achieve parity, it's going to be a very, very long August.
But we have the ability not to just achieve parity, but to absolutely swamp the teabaggers, to expose them for the shills they are, and the agenda of the corporate interests that created them. We can do it - hell, we're in the majority! But if we don't get organized, and I mean NOW, they could destroy everything.
So please, someone out there, please... help us organize.