Let's start a Revolution...seriously.

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

Let’s change the world. Or at least Chicago, in hopes that what we accomplish will catch on elsewhere. Some say racism, sexism and poverty will never cease to exist, so we shouldn’t bother doing anything about those things. Well, I say that’s a foolish, lazy attitude.

And anyone who agrees with me and doesn’t simply disregard me as a liberal
wacko, feel free to send me a reply. I want to get active in the fight for causes I believe in (such as eliminating the disparity between urban and suburban schools). I know there are organizations one can join (though I think they often worry too much about “not rocking the boat” too severely), but I think a group of passionate, like-minded individuals could just as easily get together and cause some serious havoc…in a positive, productive manner. With enough effort, we can establish credibility and be granted a platform from which to voice our views (in
addition to taking action…afterall, actions really do speak louder than words).

Age, gender and those other characteristics don’t matter…if you’re passionate about your social conscience, send me a reply.

Plus, I don’t know many people in Chicago yet (I moved from Oregon over the summer), so this would kill 2 birds with one stone. At the very least, we can get together and vent our frustration. But we can do a lot more than that, if we put forth the effort. I’ve got some ideas, and I’m sure others of you do, as well. So, let’s find a meeting place and start brainstorming. Let’s be innovative. Let’s not be hateful and stoop to the level of those we may have issues with. Let’s come up with ways to open minds and hearts of folks who think terms like “social program” and “liberal” are tools of the devil. And let’s do it in a way that makes it so we can’t be ignored or tossed aside as ‘just another bunch of far left wackos’.

I’m not trying to sell anything or promote a website. I’m a normal 27-year-old guy, who wants to “make a real difference.” Cliche, perhaps. But true. Call me a dreamer or overly idealistic…or even crazy. It makes no difference to me. Whether it’s the disparity between urban and suburban schools, 1 in 5 kids living in poverty in the richest nation on Earth (which is a conservative estimate when you consider that the poverty bar is set as low as it is), unequal pay for women, housing discrimination, tens of millions without health care, the dispropotionate number of minorities on death row or any number of other social (in)justice issues, I can’t take it any longer. Nobody should have to choose between buying food and paying their heating bill or buying medicine they need to survive. As I’ve told a couple of people who replied to me already (after I posted this at another site) I don’t accept the “oh well, that’s life” attitude. Let’s force some changes. Let’s force them now.

I’ve felt this kind of passion for a long time, and I’m tired of it being bottled up. Maybe I’m not alone? I want to hear from you.

2

You are alone.

At least, you are alone insofar as you seem to be filled with undirected angst, & a yen to make silly, unfocused, sweeping statements, with nothing to back them up.

Prove that these statements of your are true. This is the SDMB–we insist on a cite or two.

And stop trying to make blatantly emotional appeals, dammit! Most SDMB members pride themselves on being creatures of Reason.

Do you have a plan, of some kind? If so, let’s hear it.

If you can establish that there is a verifiable problem, & have even a broad outline of a plan, you may get some support.

If you have nothing more than vague, do-gooder impulses, & believe everything you read on a protest sign, you won’t.

Remember:The worth of any cause is not established by how loud you scream it.

3

Surely you don’t doubt that those injustices exist, and surely you wouldn’t argue that they should exist. Let’s take one such example: As one who has worked in a variety of schools, I’ve seen first-hand a great disparity between urban and suburban schools. Now, there are always exceptions. But schools with a student body that is predominantly black or Hispanic are OFTEN lacking (old textbooks, no textbooks, no gym or outdoor play area, basketball backboards with no hoops, no air conditioning, no seats on the toilets, broken windows, sewage problems, etc., etc., etc.).

You want sources (such as Savage Inequalities by Jonathan Kozol) that tell you that’s a real problem or that tens of millions are without health care or that minorities have frequently been told there’s no vacancy in apartment complexes when there really are vacancies, and on and on and on, find them yourself. Some will back up what I’m saying. Others will deny what I’m saying. So, you can come to any conclusion you wish.

I do have some ideas on how to raise awareness and work toward eliminating these ills of society, and that’s why I want to join with others and brainstorm a comprehensive plan.

4

If they are so common, links to news stories should be quite easy to find.

But don’t think you can blow this off.

This Board is staffed with hard-headed people. We ain’t followin’ anybody who thinks that copping a self-rightous attitude constitutes factual accuracy, morally defensible positions, or leadership.

I hope that you are not dumb enough to believe that there are no laws against discrimination.

We don’t need new laws, we need easier, & cheaper, ways to enforce existing ones.

Perhaps a Bounty Hunter type system, in which a reward could be collected for proving housing discrimination? And an easy way to prove it? Private individuals would therefore be encouraged to look into this, creating a large enforcement team, while leaving social services money to be used on better things.

5

I, for one, will readily grant that the social ills of which you speak do indeed continue to exist, and that it would be a far better world were this not the case.

“Revolution” tends to imply “change via forcible means, overthrowing the established power structure in a military or quasi-military fashion”. That might not be what you had in mind but the phrase “cause some serious havoc” does sort bolster the impression that that’s the kind of thing you had in mind.

The biggest challenge of our current political situation is that the folks in charge do not remain in charge trhough forcible oppression. Instead, they convince the governed to grant them legitimacy, and most of the governed would side against you if you were to represent a realistic possibility of revolution. And rightly so: you can’t really improve on electoral representative democracy via any kind of strategy based on crude force; a seizing of power of that sort would necessarily concentrate power into the hands of fewer people, with the consent of fewer of the governed, than what we’ve got now.

Mind you, I’m not saying that what we’ve got now is the maximum-possible exercise of egalitarian shared decision-making power. I’m well aware that the general societal consensus is obtained via communication in which media presence is unequally available while passive media access is at an all-time high. And I’m not filled with idealistic joy about being consulted every 2-4-6 years about which of two blithering idiots with poor judgment I want to make all my political decisions for me for the next term.

But if you want to change things you’re going to have to inspire people with a structured, functional, decision-making process that improves on what we’ve got. Simply harping about the wicked state of current affairs ain’t gonna cut it.

6

Where does the realist part of your username come into play?

Yes those problems exist, noone is doubting that.

What we are doubting is that you can do a damn thing about it, especially in a city where you have no social network. Don’t worry, everyone goes through an idealistic phase. It will pass.

7

Thank heavens that for some of us, it doesn’t pass, and we continue to make the society better itself rather than accepting its injustices and taking its benefits for granted.

I agree with what others have said about cites - it’s crucial your arguments be backed by facts as well as by ethics. One major reason that some people waste their efforts is because they are directed to certain causes of high ethical appeal but with little substance, and ignore more important, more pressing ones.

Blowing your energy on causes of little substance or about which you can’t summon the conviction to learn and work as well as to speak are the fast track to burnout and cynicism.

There should be any number of ways in which to express your idealism. In the last six years, I’ve run for Parliament three times and run an additional campaign; been involved in a number of activist groups for a number of different causes; and volunteered for a variety of social service organizations.

Getting involved with political parties, activist groups, and services is a great way to build your contact networks and to learn in depth about the crucial issues in your community.

8

Make no mistake, I fully understand the importance of backing up one’s argument with facts. But that is not my purpose here. I made the mistake of posting this message on the Debates board, which probably gave a false impression. I’m not here to convince people that those injustices exist (nor should I have to). If you want to google those topics, be my guest. I’m looking to organize. I’m looking to form a large, diverse group of people who can come up with innovative strategies for dealing with society’s ills. Then, the compiling of facts will begin. I’m not just blowin’ smoke, and this is not a “phase” that will pass. I’ve felt this way for a long time, and it’s time to take action.

Here’s an example of an idea I’ve had: A lot of politicians talk about “giving a voice to the voiceless” when they really mean “speaking for the voiceless.” Well, I want to find a way to actually put the microphone in the hands of the single mother living in poverty or the homeless vet who was tossed aside after the government got what it needed from him or the child who has to put up with run-down facilities in her school.

I don’t pretend to have all of the ideas, which is sort of the point. I want to brainstorm with other individuals.

As for some of the language I used, I understand what you’re saying. Maybe “revolution” and “havoc” aren’t appropriate. Actually, the last thing I want is to stoop to the level of the opposition. Hateful speech and destructive action is hateful speech and destructive action no matter who is speaking/acting. I don’t plan on forming a group that can be ignored because it’s “just another bunch of crazy activists” or “it has a hidden, political agenda.” Nor do I plan on being part of a group, who’s goal is to get arrested as many times as possible. I plan on being part of a group that is innovative, persuasive (yes, that will involve using facts and lots of 'em) and determined. Not afraid to rock the boat in the name of political correctness, but also not willing to ‘do anything for attention’.

So, you can criticize me for not citing sources all you want. Because that isn’t my purpose. I won’t be posting at this site for long (I know, you’re disappointed to read that). I’m not going to engage in debate. I found this site through the Chicago Reader, and I thought I’d post my message. Again, I was basically just making an announcement. Later…

9

These aren’t the boards you’re looking for.

The SDMB isn’t really a classified-ad type thing. You should go to craigslist, or the classified section of this paper. to recruit fellow activists. The SDMB is a great place to *discuss *your ideas. Not that all talk and no action is necessarily a good thing. But rigorous and challenging debate provides essential evolutionary pressure on your ideas; we’ve already succeeded in helping you to tone down and clarify your rhetoric.

You should stick around. But you should use the SDMB for its strengths–discussion and debate–and find a better venue for posting classified recruitment ads.

Good luck.

10

I understand the purpose of your posting a little bit better now. As lissener said, this community isn’t quite what you’re looking for. We do focus on argument and fact-finding, not on announcements.

But don’t be discouraged; I know in my experience in Canada that a great deal of organizing takes place online. It’s just a matter of finding the right website. Lissener had good suggestions; also, there are a number of LiveJournal communities that cater to activist circles.

Universities, all stereotypes aside, are indeed usually fertile ground for finding fellow travellers. (Well, certain universities, at any rate.)

Best of luck to you and congratulations on taking an interest in shaping the society in which we live.

11

I appreciate the input. I actually posted my message at craigslist before I posted it here. I’ve gotten pretty good feedback. And I do live near the University of Chicago, which I can “recruit” from, I suppose.

Later…

12

My biggest problem with The Government is that, in general, its public face is represented by cops,DMV workers, vehicle-impound clerks, animal control officers, social services types ( so-called eligibility officers whose real function is to find any excuse to deny you benefits you paid for back when you were still able to fend for yourself),what-have-you, who have zero customer service skills.
The glaring exception to this general rule seems to be my local Register iof Deeds office; but in that I’m not a real estate broker, I get little opportunity to bask in Government Service As It Should Be .

Indeed, these people don’t see us, the ones paying their agencies’ bills and their salaries, as customers but as collossal pains in the ass who demand too much of their precious coffee-swilling, donut-chomping, and idle-gossiping time actually expecting something for our money.

Immerse government workers in the philosophies of W. Edwards Deming and other proponents of “quality improvement”.

If it doesn’t take with the majority of them, I’ll gladly help “festoon the lampposts” with bureaucrats, alongside the OP and his fellow travellers.

13

I work for my State Government.

And, if we are less than Happy Campers, please realize that (non-law enforcement) Government employees are routinely assaulted, spat upon, sworn at, shrieked at, & are generally abused as badly as Retail workers, except we get shot a little more often.

Our jobs often consist of “regulatory duties”–i.e. saying "No, you can’t do that, it’s illegal/dangerous for yourself & others/not what our program was intended for in the first place.

When a Political Appointee decides to do something stupid, as rank & file subordinates, we are obligated to obey his orders or quit. We often agree with the citizen/customer, but like soldiers, we are obligated to obey a legal order.

I’ve been assaulted twice because of my Government job, & I’ve found that Joe Average is often a paranoid nutcase when he wanders into your office.

14

Bosda, perhaps one reason we act “like paranoid nut cases” by the time we actually get to see a human face at the agency in question is that by the time we’ve played 3 weeks of phone tag with a worker, been switched to another worker because the receptionist put us on the phone queue with the wrong worker for our situation, spent 3 more weeks in the next phone queue, we’re on our last nerve. If you can’t realize that your customers have had it with the system in which you work and cannot come up with handling skills to calm these people instead of throwing gasoline on the fire, you misunderstand your job to the point that you need to find other work.

Maybe this doesn’t apply to your office, but many local and state offices function like the Child Support Section of my local courthouse. Whenever I came in to pay
child support in person rather than through the mail the staff ,seated around the coffee urn and Krispy Kremes, would argue among themselves as to whose turn it was this time to handle the “Pain in the ass who could just as well mail it in. He’s got time. It’s not the end of the month yet.” They didn’t care that I could hear them. They don’t care–they don’t have to care–they’re the government.

BTW, I am also a State Government employee. Customer service is not my primary function, but I do have to handle the occasional building-services related complaint and have never left anyone angry with me. I don’t consider myself the most tactful person on Earth and am therefore appalled when someone whose job is primarily customer service cannot even meet the lax standards I set for myself.