Back in the summer, I posted a photo diary on our health care rally in NYC, titled "Action is Manna for the Soul." It said, in part:
One Pissed Off Liberal posted an important and moving diary this week about his "small seismic shift" at Netroots Nation. He explains how he came to better appreciate the efforts of activists, field rats, organizers, and even politicians who are committed to creating change for the greater good. If you read through the comments, you'll see that many kossacks who went to the convention returned home similarly encouraged, inspired and motivated.
In many ways, that it what action does for political warriors. It channels anxiety, perceived helplessness, fear -- and, yes, anger and cynicism -- into positive, productive output. If you are determined to make this country a better place for all of us, then action is manna for your soul.
I went on to say:
Action.
It connects you to community, it distracts you from disappointment, it keeps you focused and forward-thinking, and it gives you purpose. It is at once both practical and spiritual. It moves the cause along, sometimes by inches and sometimes by yards, and it creates a movement in which we all claim our stake and we all have voices. Ask any psychologist and they will tell you that action is a route out of depression or despair. It gives you the chance to exert some control over your environment, it can fill your days with meaning, it takes you outside of yourself. Action excites us, empowers us, energizes us, and rejuvenates us. Even when we are dispirited and exhausted -- both emotionally and physically -- we get energy and strength from moving forward together with a group of kindred souls. Do you remember how excited you felt whenever you registered a new voter? Or how reinvigorated you felt when you persuaded just one more "undecided" last November?
Even back then, Jeffrey Feldman had this to say about one of kath 25's action diaries:
It's great to see the rec list topped by diaries filled with stories and photos of smiling, triumphant progressives engaged on the ground. I was about ready to throw my laptop out the window when the rec list was filled with whiny, cranky diaries that did nothing more than feed people's latent need to bicker.
I went to the NYC rally on Saturday and it was energizing and uplifting...
Folks, these are the kinds of diaries that should fill up the rec list like a long line of activists marching arm-in-arm to victory. We don't win political battles by complaining and in-fighting our way across the finish line. We win by standing tall and projecting victory stronger, brighter, and longer than the opposition.
Thanks for this diary and for dozens and dozens like it to follow.
And just this weekend, Mike Lux at Open Left provided some health care reform home-stretch support:
The end game of any major legislative fight such as what we're going through on health care- when the final deals are being cut on the inside, and the rumors are flying around like starlings- are what I call the crazy season. It's a time that's generally very maddening for all the grassroots activists who have been working on the legislation like crazy, because it really is tough to figure out what is true and what is not.
He went on to provide advice on navigating the chop of crazy season. And he reminded us how to forge the path to victory:
Don't panic over anything, just keep organizing for what you want. A lot of groups are doing list building right now, seizing on real or imagined rumors to try to panic people into signing petitions or giving money. Most of these panic attacks are phony. My advice to activists out there is to just keep working hard on grassroots organizing around the issues you care the most about, and not worry too much over the panic attacks.
Empasis mine. -- mindoca
So yesterday, we grabbed our mops in NYC.
It was National Training Weekend for Organizing for America (OFA) and, as casperr and others have illustrated on many, many occasions, the grassroots in NYC are all kinds of activist awesomeness.
The pictures below will tell the story but I'll set the scene.
It was really the first day of winter in NYC. The temperatures dropped precipitously overnight and it was misting, raining and sort-of-snowing when we woke up. There were Christmas and Hanukkah presents to be purchased, holiday parties to be planned, travel arrangements to be finalized, and a million other preparations to attend to before school vacations and family visits.
And still, the grassroots came out in force. Almost seventy current and prospective volunteers. Some with decades of experience and some who had never before volunteered -- for any political work. Many had been part of the campaign. Others had not. They came from all over Manhattan, and the Bronx, Brooklyn and Queens. And they dedicated the better part of a precious Saturday to learning more about OFA, boning up on health care reform, honing leadership and organizing skills, and creating community bonds and neighborhood teams. And working to, as my brand-new button says, "Keep the Change Going."
As captainlaser said last summer in the comments on casperr's photo diary on the health care rally:
...You all looked great. People with a righteous cause always look beautiful.
So, once again, here are the beautiful people of NYC, learning to mop...
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National Training Weekend, Organizing for America (OFA)
New York City
December 5, 2009
Here's a helicopter view of the amazing turnout.
The training was delivered largely by volunteer organizers. Only Geoff Berman, Deputy Field Director, on the left, is on staff.
Deputy Field Director, Keith Kinch, is also on staff. Lamont, Alan, Anne, Alex and Amy (left to right) are all volunteers.
Some of you may recognize this indomitable volunteer organizer as well.
Here is a grainy, low-light shot (sorry!) of our own casperr.
And here she is again, addressing the group.
Here are Alan and Lamont hard at work with breakout groups doing exercises and skills training.
We worked in groups large and small, on different assignments during the four-hour training. These groups of three are learning more about each other through "the story of self," a key pillar of the organizing training developed by Marshall Ganz for Camp Obama.
These two trainees shared their stories with the entire room.
David Guerrero is 23 years old and came to training to continue to develop his ability to reach out to other young activists and voters.
Raimundo Valdes is, in his own words, "from the island of Cuba." He is a hospital worker and a member of SEIU. He was decked out from head to toe in OFA, and he got a big chuckle when he said, "If I only had two days left on this Earth, I would give one to Obama."
His hands fly and his eyes sparkle when he speaks, and he was a very special addition to training.
Diane and Macari were part of my breakout group. Diane lives in Harlem and Macari lives in the Bronx, though her parents are Garifuna and originally from Honduras.
I also met Brandon and Ricardo. They are active with Queens County for Change.
Here are some other faces from all around NYC.
We worked on four specific action areas during the training.
Citizen Contact:
Congressional Outreach (you have to reach for the "ch" (LOL):
Earned Media Events:
Organizing:
Here's a shot of my group's scribe recording my suggestion to create a pilot program of apartment building captains and teams in Manhattan.
And of course, we also discussed health care policy and congressional procedure. I had never seen this video (I aged out:-) and absolutely loved it. I have been singing the song all day today.
We were also treated to this terrific new video from Baratunde Thurston --originally posted at Jack and Jill Politics and rescued by femlaw and posted on Daily Kos on Thursday.
Finally, the day wouldn't have been complete without some boots-on-the-ground organizing, so here we are with phones glued to our ears at the end of our last exercise, which culminated in recruiting volunteers for Rapid Response Teams in NYC. We made 217 calls -- in only five minutes!
We've got a lot to do on health care reform in the next few weeks. It's crunch time and we need to keep focused with our eyes on the prize. So, grab a mop and do what you can -- with DFA, OFA, MoveOn or any of the other great advocacy and grassroots organizations in full swing in communities across the nation. And please use the comments to tell us what you've been doing and what you pledge to do this week. And if you need a hand getting hooked up, just say the word and action-oriented kossacks will help to direct you. Or simply go to mybarackobama.com.
Special thanks to casperr for several photos. Sorry that some of mine are so dark and grainy. I'm investigating...