I see a lot of people feeling hopeless on DU.I went through that,too,until ..

[w8liftinglady]

I found out that I made a difference.in my 65% Republican county,I made a difference,changed minds,made people think outside the box.They have told me so.People come up to me in my liberal "Nascar",and want to talk about the war,the economy,healthcare.You may not see it on the 6 o'clock news,and it may seem like an exercise in futility...but it's not.Last night,a big biker came up to me at my favorite watering hole,gave me a hug,and told me "I hope our kids come home in one piece.Those fucking bastards"If you want to read some of my letters,here are some links.Yes,I see "W" stickers here....but they pull WAYYY back when they read my stickers.We ARE making a difference.Stick with it.
http://thedailylight.com/articles/2005/10/27/dailylight/opinion/letters_to_the_editor/03%20letters.txt
http://thedailylight.com/articles/2006/01/03/dailylight/opinion/letters_to_the_editor/02%20letters.txt
http://thedailylight.com/articles/2005/11/21/dailylight/opinion/letters_to_the_editor/01-11_21-letters.txt
http://www.thedailylight.com/articles/2007/01/31/dailylight/opinion/letters_to_the_editor/letter4.txt
http://www.thedailylight.com/articles/2007/02/07/dailylight/opinion/letters_to_the_editor/letter6.txt
http://www.thedailylight.com/articles/2007/03/08/dailylight/opinion/letters_to_the_editor/00-letter-dawson.txt
http://www.thedailylight.com/articles/2007/05/30/dailylight/opinion/letters_to_the_editor/letter2.txt
http://www.thedailylight.com/articles/2007/05/09/dailylight/opinion/letters_to_the_editor/letter26.txt
http://www.thedailylight.com/articles/2007/05/03/dailylight/opinion/letters_to_the_editor/letter1.txt

[Totally Committed]

1. Your post is a lovely shot of sunshine.

I am one of the hopeless. Maybe that'll turn around, and maybe it won't, but I appreciate your optomism very much.

TC

[w8liftinglady]

2. I dropped off the scene for about 6 months.I'm back,with a vengence.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

3. you rock.

:hug:


:hi: How's the boy?

[w8liftinglady]

4. sadly,the boy has been reactivated and goes to God knows where in July

He won't tell me.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

24. :(

:hug:

[unhappycamper]

5. Good letters, w8liftinglady.

And the moral of the story is: Yes, we do make a difference.

Many times it seems as if we're preaching to the choir, but folks do read those letters. Many times it seems as if nothing we do makes a difference, but folks are paying attention. At least 70% (I know that's a lowball number) of America thinks we are on the 'wrong track' in Iraq.

We are making a difference. THANK YOU!

k&r

[w8liftinglady]

9. Thank you.Don't be afraid to say what's right.It's hard to argue with facts.

[VP505]

6. Thank You

for all your doing, in the couple of your "letters" that I read your telling what needs to be heard by all but especially by the Bu$h supporters and apologists. Say it often and loud enough and maybe, just maybe a little will soak in by the 08 election.

[Seedersandleechers]

7. I've been clinically depressed since November 2004.

And it keeps getting worse. Their isn't a pill that will change that and I lack the energy it takes to turn that depression around.

[w8liftinglady]

8. i know.but it is cathartic-much more than a pill-to see the change you have made.

Like you,I expected more from our country,and nearly gave up when it didn't happen.Monkeyman is the one who encouraged me to keep writing.When a GI's parent cries on my shoulder,or a grizzled old vet shakes my hand,it matters.The fact that I have NEVER been flipped off or vandalized says volumes.I have every anti-bush,anti-repub,anti-war,pro-veteran bumpersticker known to man on my car(which is why my son calls it the liberal Nascar)and drive through several highly-redneck towns daily.Hell-I LIVE in a redneck town.People ARE paying attention...slowly,but they are.

[antigop]

10. Thank you, w8liftinglady. You are an inspiration.

That reminds me -- I have a ltte to submit.

A little ray of hope -- I live in a red area too. However, some time ago I got a ltte published about healthcare (a push for HR 676 Medicare for All). I got a phone call out of the blue from someone who tracked me down, called me on the phone, told me he read the letter and felt it was spot on. (Kind of creepy, though -- if someone tracks you down -- in this case, though, it was OK.)

People DO read the ltte section of the paper.

My outrage meter has been on overload for years, but we put our boots on and keep plugging away.

Excuse me -- I need to go submit that ltte I wrote.

[w8liftinglady]

11. you go!Keep speaking out.

BTW-my address isn't in the phone book or anywhere under my name.I suspect I would get a lot of anonymous calls,otherwise.People are different when they don't have to confront face-to-face.

[antigop]

13. I have had pretty good luck getting ltte's published -- here are some tips if anyone is interested

I have found it helps (at least for my paper) if you respond to an article that appeared in the paper. (It shows you are a reader/subscriber and are commenting on something that appeared in a recent column.) Mention the title and date of the article.

Try to respond quickly to an article (or editorial or other ltte)that appeared. Don't wait too long because people probably won't remember the original article.

Be sure to specify you want the letter to appear in the PRINT edition of the paper. Some papers have letters on their websites that never appear in print. You want your letter in the PRINT edition.

Be sure to give a phone number where they can reach you. Return the call promptly -- be courteous to the staff.

Make your points as succinctly as you can.

See if there is a word limit to any letters submitted -- make sure you are under the word limit.

Ask if your letter can be printed in ITS ENTIRETY -- sometimes, because of space limitations, they chop off part of letters.

Hope these help.

[w8liftinglady]

14. those are good tips.My local editor publishes anything free...

I DO have trouble getting in the larger papers-Dallas Morning News,etc.I'll try these the next time I write.

[antigop]

16. And my thoughts are with you and your son. BRING THEM HOME! n/t

[w8liftinglady]

21. Thanks...

[mondo obscurius]

17. Hang in there KC...

:hug:

[Minimus]

12. Great letters! You are an inspiration.

My thoughts are with you and your son.

I do not have children so my nieces and nephews have filled that void. I have a nephew (Navy) that did two deployments to Iraq - home safely thank god. His wife was Navy reserves, called to active duty and is on her way to Iraq.

My niece is on a ship sitting in the Persian Gulf and her fiance is on his way back to Iraq. He is special forces and has been there and Afghanistan many many times. They had to postpone their wedding because his orders were changed. Hopefully they will be able to marry later this year.

I live in a very red state and I too have anti-bush, anti-war but pro-troops stickers on my car. No one better dare say anything to me. My favorite sticker is from MFSO.org: Another Military Family Speaks Out. Bring Them Home Now!

[w8liftinglady]

22. we all can speak out in our own way.I am outgoing and thrive on confrontation

my passive son liked the "bring them home" program-where you put little stickers on toy army men saying"bring me home" and leave them everywhere.

[peacebird]

23. I will go out and get myself a couple bags of plastic soldiers!!!

I will add BRIGHT NEON "bring me home now" tags and leave them EVERYWHERE!

Woo-hoo! Thanks for a GREAT IDEA w8liftinglady!!!!

[OzarkDem]

15. Great work!

Thanks for the inspiring message. You're right, we are putting a lot of pressure on this administration and changing public opinion. The only problem is that the news media continues to report otherwise.

We can't buy into the media propaganda campaign. We really are making a difference. This administration is under a huge amount of pressure and they're very close to cracking. We'll get to take credit for it when its over, I suppose.

[Gregorian]

18. Politics is one thing, but global warming is a real uphill battle.

If you think changing minds is difficult, try changing behavior.

I've given up. Even on DU people don't get it. Just change a light bulb. Get a Prius. It's going to take way way more than that. More than the average person is willing to think about, let alone (not) do. Because not doing is exactly what it's going to take. Not traveling. Not having kids. Not driving. Not buying stuff. Americans are going to have to face boredom. And that is not going to happen. Even accepting the premise, is not going to happen. A leader could help make it happen. But no leader is going to do that. Not even Gore. They wouldn't let him do it, even if he wanted to.

So talking about hopelessness is good. But I don't see hope. I've reached the conclusion of my many decades of hope. I thought we were on our way, back in the 70's, when companies like Subaru put out the car that got 45 miles per gallon. That was only a blink in history. I see nothing but hopelessness without any reversal. At least until world population drops by half, or more. Oh, sorry, that's right, population is the other thing that no one is willing to grasp. Damn.

[datasuspect]

19. you're right, people don't get it

thinking about it involves going way past your comfort zone.

we will be forced to face it when gas is $10/gallon and the suburbs become ghost towns and all the strip malls become retail greyfields.

simple point of fact: the ecosystem cannot sustain the consumption.

partisan bickering notwithstanding, but i think people will get the message when stores have no food to purchase and you can't drive anywhere anymore.

[w8liftinglady]

20. I agree.We all have our "Area" mine is war and treatment of veterans.Yours should be global warming.

Educate as many as you can.Maybe it won't change the world,but it may change the behavior of one.

[WilliamPitt]

25. DU can make you hopeless, and turn that hopelessness into despair,

in a short amount of time.

It's like there's some DU law of attraction. The mood you're in will bring you to threads that match your mood. If you're bummed already, you'll find three threads that'll make you want to flush yourself down the toilet.

Maintaining a little distance from the raw emotion often unleashed here is a wise policy. I also ride my bike a lot. :)

[Decruiter]

26. Will, in my very humble opinion, you both need a break. Take a weekend, a 3-day one.

Take care. I see you despair, and then you always come back with so much to say and to have be heard.

W8Lady, well, the same can ge said for you. Your tireless efforts in Ennis, TX are an act of disobedience to behold. I just wish in all the times we have crossed paths that we had the opportunity to meet. Maybe one day soon we will.

Don't stop either one of you, ever.

Peace.