http://www.one.org/blog/2007/12/13/waterloo-and-biden-too/ The Campaign to Make Poverty History Thu, 08 Jan 2009 20:31:24 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.2 http://www.one.org/blog/2007/12/13/waterloo-and-biden-too/#comment-531322 Kevin Traywick Thu, 13 Dec 2007 22:16:17 +0000 http://www.one.org/blog/2007/12/13/waterloo-and-biden-too/#comment-531322 Wow. When I joined One, I thought it meant that I would meet people that believed we could, one-by-one, take small local acts to end poverty. What I've found is that I've joined a Move-On wearing white, with its endless big-scene political emails and "effect change by affecting big government." That's One? Really? That's not what I imagined. I believe that as long as we empower governments, we will not solve problems. We will only chase elections cycles. What I envisioned from the powerful idea that captured my imagination: that folks would collect food and take it to food banks, that those same folks would call local businesses and folks and raise money to help Katrina victims, that truck drivers might donate a little room for care packages, that churches might help with distribution, etc and all along the way, folks might take a personal belief in their ability to effect change because they met and worked with like-minded caring folks. Why are you so fascinated with elections One? Why government, the least efficient mechanism on the planet, and not with people? Why the internet and web2.0? Why not old fashioned food drives and face-to-face? Why nonpartisan and not apolitical? Why do you have to have an agenda One? Why does One, barely able to walk, feel like the same-old same-old to me? Seriously, like I need more emails and political statements - I, this country, the world, needs community and that community does not occur online brother. I'm sorry I can't be the earnestly hopeful pollyanna follower but you did, for a moment, have my hopes. Kevin Wow. When I joined One, I thought it meant that I would meet people that believed we could, one-by-one, take small local acts to end poverty. What I’ve found is that I’ve joined a Move-On wearing white, with its endless big-scene political emails and “effect change by affecting big government.” That’s One? Really? That’s not what I imagined. I believe that as long as we empower governments, we will not solve problems. We will only chase elections cycles.
What I envisioned from the powerful idea that captured my imagination: that folks would collect food and take it to food banks, that those same folks would call local businesses and folks and raise money to help Katrina victims, that truck drivers might donate a little room for care packages, that churches might help with distribution, etc and all along the way, folks might take a personal belief in their ability to effect change because they met and worked with like-minded caring folks. Why are you so fascinated with elections One? Why government, the least efficient mechanism on the planet, and not with people? Why the internet and web2.0? Why not old fashioned food drives and face-to-face? Why nonpartisan and not apolitical? Why do you have to have an agenda One? Why does One, barely able to walk, feel like the same-old same-old to me? Seriously, like I need more emails and political statements - I, this country, the world, needs community and that community does not occur online brother.
I’m sorry I can’t be the earnestly hopeful pollyanna follower but you did, for a moment, have my hopes.
Kevin

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