Draft of a letter for the Gazette–give me feedback, please!

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An enormous 71 per cent of Americans in an early April poll expressed a belief that their country is going in the wrong direction.  And no wonder.

But what are we doing about it?  If people imagine we’ll get some stunning transformation from electing any of three senators seeking the presidency, I’d like to suggest another approach.  I can’t guarantee immediate results, but almost everything has to be better than counting on someone who has the blessing of either of the two major parties.  Just look at the way both Democrats are manipulating this issue of the disenfranchised primary voters in Florida–not to mention the shocking inability of McCain to see the profound differences between Iraq and South Korea.

Counting on a new President from either major party is a recipe for certain disappointment.  Instead, I invite you to try a new option.  Get involved.

Get involved in a group that is working locally on an issue.  No one can do everything, but that’s no reason for doing nothing.

Choose an issue that fires you up, and find some people in your area (this is why there’s Google, folks) who are working on that issue.  Believe me, they want you to join in!  Chances are they are people who, even if a bit idiosyncratic, have more good ideas than they have enough helpers to carry out in any given year.  Give them a chance.

I can’t promise immediate results, but I can promise instant satisfaction.  There’s no joy that compares with knowing that, instead of just shaking your head and wasting your money on yet another means of temporary distraction, you are actually trying to change what you don’t like.  Make yourself part of what will de facto be a growing movement of people who are actually taking their country’s direction into their own hands through participation in a local issue-oriented community of doers (aka “activists”).  The one best thing you can do for your personal happiness is to give yourself this gift: Walk the Talk.

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