So you've read through the site, you've posted on the message boards, and you think that together, we've come up with some good ideas. Ideas, unfortunately, are a dime a dozen; maybe a buck a dozen for the good ones. The hard part is making them a reality. How do we do it?
For starters, tell others about the site, and bring them here to join in the conversation. More participants mean that more people will share in our good ideas.
If candidates for public office in your area are sympathetic to the ideas we've generated here, support them. Vote for them, get a bumper sticker, tell your friends, volunteer, maybe even send a check.
Write letters. Write to your public officials, of course, and express your concerns and what you think should be done about them. Here are examples of letters written by members of the Not News community:
Mention our site, and ask them or one of their representatives to drop by and perhaps participate in the dialogues. (It can't hurt!) Information about your representatives to the federal government can be found here:
U.S. House of Representatives: Enter your zip code to get your representative's contact info.
United States Senate: An alphabetical list of the Senators' postal and e-mail addresses.
The White House: Contact info for the executive branch.
But don't stop the writing there! Write letters to the national news and entertainment magazines and tell them what you think. Write to your local newspapers, particularly the large dailies with high circulation. Spread the word, express yourself, and engage those citizens who haven't found their way here yet. (If you want to plug the site in your letters, of course I won't complain.) Here are links to some of the major publications, and Yahoo's newspaper directory:
Get involved in local civic groups. If there aren't any local groups promoting the kind of agenda you think is important, start your own with like-minded people in your area -- maybe your friends, maybe people you know from this site. Invite candidates and local officials to speak to you, and attend town meetings and community forums.
Did I mention the part about voting for candidates with the right ideas? I did? Well, let me mention it again, because it bears repeating. Decisions are made by those who show up. Be one of them.
If you have other suggestions, let us know, and we'll put them here. We have the ideas, and we have the power. Let's use it.
