One Who Makes a Difference (12/9/03)
by Dean Hartwell
Most of the statistics we get about political matters refer to large numbers of people. Recently, for instance, the United States Department of Labor told us that the unemployment rate stands at 5.9% of the total population. Economists tell us that the Gross National Product went up last quarter. President Bush’s popularity bobs up and down from one poll to another.
It makes me wonder: how can one person make any difference?
In looking around my own city of Glendale, California, I realize that there are individuals who make a difference. I have had the good fortune to meet one of them.
Glendale voted solidly Republican for many years, even during the time of Franklin Roosevelt. The City routinely elected Republicans to state and federal office. Not until 1996 did Democrats finally win at the local official positions.
Even now, with a majority of councilmembers as Democrats, the typical outspoken Glendalian’s point of view falls somewhere to the right of center. Conservatives run the unelected leadership of the City. Letters to the editor of the City’s only newspaper come from those who support the war in Iraq, who favor the Patriot Act and who have little use for the elected Democratic officials.
Enter Nancy Kent. A member of the local Green Party, she also associates with a local Democratic Club. An opponent of the war on Iraq, she has helped organize a rally near one of the busiest intersections in the City every Friday night since it became apparent that war would take place.
What difference does she think she can make?
Being an activist “provides opportunities to meet with other concerned people to meet about how to make things better,” she says. Indeed, one person acting alone can accomplish only so much; people acting as individuals together can go far.
Nancy states that she got involved politically a few years ago upon her retirement to “improve upon what is not acceptable. This includes not only the pre-emptive war upon Iraq but also the erosion of civil liberties at home and the need for voluntary public financing of campaigns.
She likes getting people to talk about what concerns them politically. In fact, she has helped organize viewings of political movies like Bowling for Columbine. Movies like that make people think, according to Nancy.
What advice does Nancy have for budding political activists?
“Don’t give up hope. If enough people get together, the politicians will notice.” That is because politicians get their votes one individual at a time.