Recently I've been working with a collective of socially and politically aware artists in all mediums (visual, literary, musical) to raise funds and awareness. Each of our events has focused on a different issue: so far, prisons, education, and homelessness. I helped with organizing and set-up, performed poetry, and handled recycling for each event. To learn more, visit our website and our MySpace page.
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Anyone can be an activist these days, thanks to the endless opportunities available on the internet. Responding to an online alert is fast and effective, adding one more voice to thousands on the issues that matter to us, making sure our elected and appointed officials know that their employers— the American public— are watching their every move. Here is a sampling of some recent ones I've received, most of which I have taken action on:
Irradiated food should be clearly labeled as such! (Food & Water Watch)
I wrote: What are they so ashamed of? Aren't they proud of their advanced technology? Don't they want everyone to know how concerned they are about our health? If irradiation is as beneficial as they claim, why don't they want us to know? Exactly what is it they're trying to hide?
NO to a new generation of nuclear weapons (Women's Action for New Directions)
Encourage International Paper to fix our paper packaging problem (Dogwood Alliance)
I wrote, Natural forests provide clean air, clean water and all of our topsoil. Please think beyond next quarter's profits and do what's right for both present and future generations of all living things. Thank you.
Ask the FCC to preserve limits on Big Media (U.S. Public Interest Research Groups)
I wrote, Diversity of opinion is what made this country great. Only a diversity of media outlets can keep the conversation of ideas alive and well. Naturally, the big media outlets wish to swallow all smaller ones to increase their power, but this would be a disaster for democracy and for future generations of Americans. Please prevent big media from getting any bigger and instead encourage a more diverse, independent and minority ownership. This is why our democratic system of government has established regulatory agencies like yours. It's called "a balance of power."
Kindly let me know if you find any of these alerts has expired!
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I support the following organizations on an ongoing basis. Click these links to find out what's happening in the Atlanta area:
Georgia Peace & Justice Coalition — coordinating local efforts to end the war on Iraq
Environment Georgia — defending our state's natural heritage against pollution and overdevelopment
Women's Action for New Directions — resisting our society's pervasive culture of war
School of the Americas Watch — working to close a school at Ft. Benning, Georgia, that trains Latin American soldiers in "state-sponsored terrorism"
Environmental Defense — national and international efforts to preserve the natural world for future generations
MoveOn.org — organizing electoral campaigns and holding elected representatives accountable
Dogwood Alliance — protecting the beautiful forests of the Southeast
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(a political spoof for the 2004 election and my first self-designed web page)
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