Kitchen Table Activism

Background: Kitchen Table Activism (KTA) is a monthly project of the Rural Organizing Project. Often building on quarterly themes, short actions are described in each KTA. The theory is that basic steps and tasks can lead to powerful collective results as small groups of people gather to complete the same action throughout the state of Oregon.

ROP works to keep the basic tasks easily achievable so that groups with other projects or groups with limited immediate energy can still manage to complete the KTA each month.

Rural Organizing Project
PO Box 1350,      Scappoose, OR 97056 

(503) 543-8417              Fax: (503) 543-8419

office@rop.org

February 2008 Activity

Responding to the Cost of War: Letter to a Young Patriot

Letter to a Young Patriot PDF
Letter to a Young Patriot Word
 
Oregon Ballot Snapshot PDF
Oregon Ballot Snapshot Word
 

 WHY THIS ACTIVITY? 

It is not just the young who are disconnected from democracy's tasks at just the moment that the nation's freedoms are being dismantled; in my travels across the country, I have heard from citizens of all backgrounds who feel alienated from the Founders' idea that they are the ones who must lead; they are the ones who must decide and confront and draw a line. They are the ones who matter. This book is written for them.

Such citizens need the keys to, the understanding of, the Founders' radical legacy. They need to understand how despots have gone about their work. They need a primer so they and those around them can be well-equipped for the fight that lies ahead.

So they can fight it well.

So that our children may continue to live in freedom.

So that we may all.

- Naomi Wolf, Letter to a Young Patriot

Naomi Wolf’s essay, Letter to a Young Patriot, is a short and easy read that eloquently puts into context how all of our single battles (the war, immigration, spying, torture, loss of habeas corpus, erosion of civil liberties and civil rights) are linked together to form a more powerful threat that the next generation is poised to inherit instead of the promise of freedom and democracy made years ago by our country’s Founders.   

Bush loses his power of executive office and a new Congress and President will be selected.  Many divisive and destructive ballot measures will be considered here in Oregon ranging from anti-immigrant scapegoating to new mandatory minimum sentencing.  We, as human dignity organizers, are challenged to use this election cycle not only to seat more justice-minded politicians or defeat regressive ballot measures, but to build a movement of people who will stand up through this election cycle and beyond.  It is up to us to ensure that these new elected officials dismantle the authoritarian powers the Bush administration has set in place and steer our country towards a more open, just, and democratic society.

WHAT IS THE ACTIVITY?   

This month’s KTA is different than most.  This month’s activity is designed to begin in February, but to complement your thinking and planning for the next few months.  Let’s bring strategic reflection into our organizing - let’s position ourselves for a powerful Oregon election cycle- and let’s decide now the role our human dignity groups will be playing in this year’s election outcomes.

This month’s KTA is to read Naomi Wolf’s ‘Letter to a Young Patriot’ and to use this essay as a framework for a local conversation on strategic movement building in 2008 and beyond. 

STEPS TO COMPLETE THE ACTIVITY:

 1.  Create study circles among your human dignity group leadership, allies and peers, using Naomi Wolf’s book: ‘Letter to a Young Patriot’.  (Essay available here in PDF or Word). Consider inviting some of your new social service friends from last month’s KTA.  Let’s bring in folks beyond our circle to think with us on this.  Explore the rise of authoritarianism in America and its historical parallels. 

2.      For your conversation consider a few of these questions:

·        What do you think Wolf’s warnings and suggestions/ hope for change are?

·        What kind of organizing has your group been doing to challenge authoritarianism?

·        How does Wolf’s analysis fit into the organizing your group has been doing? 

·        What ways can we use this election cycle to challenge authoritarianism now and to build a stronger movement to continue to fight for democracy?

·        What kind of framework can we use this election cycle to engage our neighbors?  Here at ROP we’ve been planning with a “Freedom” framework (anti-authoritarianism just doesn’t have the same ring to it- email us to learn more).  What does your group think of a Freedom frame?  Could you see your community members responding to a neighbor-to-neighbor election guide that situates our decision this election cycle in the framework of freedom? Can we reclaim this word to mean what those who formed our democracy intended?

3.      Extra Credit:  Consider using an upcoming date like Super Tuesday (February 5^th) to hand out the above article and to kick off local thinking on your contributions to an Oregon Elections Plan.  Why not gather with others for Super Tuesday (February 5^th) to watch the returns for presidential primaries from two dozen states.  Now is the time to get thinking about what the progressive plan for Elections 2008 in Oregon could/should/will look like.  Download here a 1 page summary of where things are with the Oregon election using a Freedom framework, available in PDF or Word.  Let ROP know how these conversations go and how people respond to the Freedom framework – this allows the plan to get smarter.

4.      Stay Tuned!  Next month ROP is going to ask your group to consider just how you want to do your voter engagement work. (For a sneak preview email cara@rop.org).