an unfiltered PSA addressed to my generation

[sanpaku_backup]

I tried watching the debate (or, as TV's Frank called it, "the Super Bowl of bullshit") for about five minutes tonight before trying to claw my eyeballs out. Knowing that the fate of the free world rests on ignorant knee-jerk reactions to issues of tone manufactured by the media makes me sick to my stomach.

Anyway, this isn't about that, but the fact that last night, for the first time, E and I went to an Obama phone bank being held at the house of a friend of E's who lives around the corner. It only took me about 15 minutes to get over being scared out of my mind to be so rude as to talk to a stranger. But the lists are mostly Democrats and you're calling to make sure people remember to, you know, vote - if you get a strong Romney supporter, you just politely say good night. So I got a lot of voice mail, but I did get one young woman who hadn't looked into getting an absentee ballot for PA, and also a 98-year-old woman who told me she was behind Obama all the way, had never missed an election in her life, and wasn't about to this time. I don't know why I was so scared to begin with, and in retrospect it was kind of staggering to think of how simple, very small, yet important a thing it was to do. Stupidly, no-brainer easy, and necessary.

So basically, if you are one of my many pinko friends here with extra time on your hands - and of course you have time on your hands, you're on LJ - just find a phone bank and do it for a couple of hours. Do I believe that it makes an actual difference? Not exactly. But it's time to get off our collective asses and do something about the collective clusterfuck we live in, if for no other reason than that it just needs doing, for yourself if for nobody else. And you've already read the whole damn Internet today, so c'mon. Just give it a try.

(Non-pinko friends, carry on... unless maybe you can convince any Republicans to vote for Gary Johnson? ;-)

Comments

[flw.livejournal.com]

Yeah, everyone but me... Do what sanpaku says!

[sanpaku.livejournal.com]

You would be absolutely perfect at it. There was a poll out last week that showed Obama winning in AZ. Of course that is very unlikely, but. Do it!

[gansje.livejournal.com]

No, especially you, flw. sanpaku is right, you'd be perfect. And besides, I'm asking you so nicely... please?

[alsoname.livejournal.com]

I agree, you'd be good at it!

[alsoname.livejournal.com]

I've been trying to get a campaign to get back to me about doing data entry, envelope stuffing, or some other kind of behind-the-scenes thing ... But it seems like they only want phone bankers and canvassers. I will persevere, though. I know activism has a place for people with extreme social anxiety! :P

[sethg]

I suspect it's more efficient for the campaign to tell Pitney Bowes "print 10,000 copies of this brochure and mail them" than to print the copies, deliver them to an office, and ask volunteers to stuff them.

[alsoname.livejournal.com]

Eh, one of the volunteer forms I filled out included "prepare mailings" as an option, so I assume it's still done.

[sanpaku.livejournal.com]

They told me at the phone bank that there were data entry type things at the office. So, just go in to one and ask!

[cislyn.livejournal.com]

As another socially anxious wannabe activist, my advice to you is to find where the office actually is, and just go on in. It sure as hell beats calling and asking and talking on the phone with folks, and once you're down there, they'll find something for you to do, or send you to another office that's understaffed. At least, this is how it's worked for me. :)