Hello, It's Me
This blog is an attempt to record my thoughts as I go about my job--fomenting revolution in the city of my birth. I am a community organizer, attempting to build a powerful organization of everyday citizens that want to change their world. Somedays I feel like I'm getting somewhere, other days I feel like I should have stayed in bed.
What is it that community organizers do? I've written about that before. We can't end drug addiction, turn irresponsible parents into Ozzie & Harriet or force people to confront the racism that has caused my tribe (whites) to flee for the hills (or, at least the suburbs.) We aren't going to foment a revolution of values, morals or culture.
Organizers are going to show people how to grab the levers of participatory democracy and yank them until they get a stop sign on their corner, the garbage cleaned out of the vacant lot across the street or more cops walking the beat in their neighborhood. It's not a revolution, but it's a start.
My blog will also showcase my freewheeling, cynical, smart-ass side as well. I may be trying to foment revolution, but I'm a Marxist/Lennonist revolutionary: Groucho and John. Bruce Springsteen plays my inauguration. Monty Python will be my cabinet members. I love to hate and hate to love the writing of P.J. O'Rourke. High culture abounds--the film festival founded by my friends at work is named "Smoochyfest" after that cinema classic "Death To Smoochy."
My blog will also brag about my beautiful wife, who is doing a similar kind of organizing with persons with disabilities. I would refer to us as Syracuse's power activist couple, but it sounds too much like bragging about the tallest building in North Dakota. I will also gush about my three beautiful, smart and lovely doggies--Sammy, Molly & Archie. (Molly is daddy's girl!)
1/3 revolutionary; 1/3 smart ass; 1/3 homebody--welcome to my world.
What is it that community organizers do? I've written about that before. We can't end drug addiction, turn irresponsible parents into Ozzie & Harriet or force people to confront the racism that has caused my tribe (whites) to flee for the hills (or, at least the suburbs.) We aren't going to foment a revolution of values, morals or culture.
Organizers are going to show people how to grab the levers of participatory democracy and yank them until they get a stop sign on their corner, the garbage cleaned out of the vacant lot across the street or more cops walking the beat in their neighborhood. It's not a revolution, but it's a start.
My blog will also showcase my freewheeling, cynical, smart-ass side as well. I may be trying to foment revolution, but I'm a Marxist/Lennonist revolutionary: Groucho and John. Bruce Springsteen plays my inauguration. Monty Python will be my cabinet members. I love to hate and hate to love the writing of P.J. O'Rourke. High culture abounds--the film festival founded by my friends at work is named "Smoochyfest" after that cinema classic "Death To Smoochy."
My blog will also brag about my beautiful wife, who is doing a similar kind of organizing with persons with disabilities. I would refer to us as Syracuse's power activist couple, but it sounds too much like bragging about the tallest building in North Dakota. I will also gush about my three beautiful, smart and lovely doggies--Sammy, Molly & Archie. (Molly is daddy's girl!)
1/3 revolutionary; 1/3 smart ass; 1/3 homebody--welcome to my world.
