I've been a member of the local Dean steering committee for some time, and have participated in meetups since last spring. In that time, we've done a couple of mailings where meetup folks created hand-written letters to send voters in Iowa and New Hampshire. Immediately following these meetups, Dean saw a surge in the polls. It's probably naive to think there's a direct relationship, but I have to believe that all those hand-crafted notes have more impact than any amount of form letters and bulk email.
With that in mind, I've decided to start a program of my own: Letters to Churches.
The purpose of these letters is to express my belief, often stated on this site, that preemptive war is immoral. More than that, it's Evil. Any religious institution, Christian, Jewish, Islamic, etc. should stand in opposition to such a plan. This is not intended as a pro-Dean effort, it's an effort against the idea of preemptive war, pure and simple.
I have been collecting addresses of churches and already have over a hundred from just the St. Louis area. I will sit down and write each of them a personalized letter stating my views on this issue, and my hope that they will take a stand against preemptive war, not just through their national organizations, but as individuals.
Realistically, this effort is likely to have no effect. Many members of the clergy already have their minds made up on this subject. Of those who do not actively oppose the war, one letter is unlikely to make them stand up before their congregations and voice opposition. And even if this happened, it might cause no change among those listening.
But I intend to do it anyway. Consider it the "one candle against the darkness" principle.
I would invite anyone to join me in this effort. As soon as I've completed the first round of letters, I'll put together a composite example.
