As the news of "crazed" town hall meetings dominates the news, we here in Arkansas are finding it hard to even get a return phone call or an email.
Monday morning August 3rd I received a call from a friend letting me know they had contacted Rep. Vic Snyder's office and asked if he was going to hold any Town Hall meeting during his recess,the answer...NO!
So facebook, emails and twits went flying, appox. two hours later there surfaced a release that Rep. Snyder was going to hold a town hall meeting on Wednesday night the 5th of Aug at 6pm. with the Central Arkansas Labor Council. Once again the facebook, emails, blogs, and twits zoomed through cyber space. Approx 10 am yesterday morning (Tuesday, August 4th) we were told that it was a private meeting and that we would not be allowed inside. One more time we hit the keyboards to spread the message that it was a closed meeting but we should still attend to let Mr. Snyder know that we are very interested in having some time with him while he is home.
About 2:30 that same day while in a meeting my blackberry went into convulsions, in a matter of just a few minutes i received myriad texts, emails and facebook messages that the meeting had been canceled, perhaps moved to Arkansas Children's Hospital.
I know this is getting repetitive but this is the story, one more time we notified everyone. Below is the final statement we sent out. It is our sincere hope that our elected officials will find time while they are home on recess to openly discuss with the people of Arkansas the decisions they have been making while representing us in Washington.
I know that I am willing to listen intently, ask concise relevant questions in a respectful manner and convey in a civil tone my concerns.
Our Statement:
Friends
We found out this afternoon due to scheduling conflicts, Vic Snyder’s office is canceling the town hall meeting tomorrow night at the Central Arkansas Labor Council on Enmar Drive.Since then we have been informed that Representatives Snyder and Ross will be at the Arkansas Children’s Hospital at 2 pm for a town hall meeting. Our question would be why would our elected officials choose a hospital filled with children and hurting families for a political forum? We have waited for months for our elected officials to return in able to have an opportunity to respectfully address their decisions in Washington. To involve ill children and their families seems to be once again an extremely poor choice.Given these circumstances are beyond our control, we encourage you to be mindful of the situation and of the innocent families involved and to refrain from attending. Please keep those children and their families in your thoughts and prayers. As always, we encourage everyone to be firm and assertive but civil. We are honorable people who are sympathetic to the hurts of our fellow citizens.Hopefully, we will have an opportunity to have an open dialogue with our representatives during their recess. Please let them know in a considerate manner that we would like some of their time. Stay informed, engaged and empowered
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Rules we need to know
Today in my husband Mike's column in the Arkansas Democrat Gazette he laid out the Chicago extremist Saul Alinsky’s 1971 “Rules for Radicals.” I along with many others believe this is crucial information We must understand what we are up against and the mindset of the people who are pushing so hard to turn our country inside out.
Please read this carefully, as you do think about all the arguments you have heard as of late...things will begin to fall into place, and where you thought you might be going absolutely stark raving mad you will realize- "no I was right, I/we are being manipulated and played".
I know for me this read shed a much needed light on- how, what, where, when and why we got to this point.
Someone today emailed me after reading Mike's column and said they needed time to digest, "healthy eating here".~ Read on~
Below, Craig Miyamoto of Public Relations Strategies cites Alinsky’s dozen rules for duping and using the honorable citizens of the country, a.k.a. “the enemy.” What better way to achieve Alinsky’s dream than to make us dependent by eliminating free enterprise and individual liberties?
The effective way to counteract such calculated subversion is for the hardworking, tax-paying so-called enemies to arise and become radical activists for preserving the Constitution and individual liberty. Alinsky’s rules: Power is not only what one has, but what the enemy believes one has. It is derived through money and people. Those without power must build it from flesh and blood. Both are in ample supply. Government and corporations always have difficulty appealing to people. They usually resort to economic arguments.
Activists should never exceed the expertise of their people. Doing so results in confusion, fear and retreat. Feeling secure adds to anyone’s backbone. Organizations under attack wonder whyradicals don’t address the “real issues.” This is why.
Whenever possible, go outside the enemy’s expertise. Find ways to increase his insecurity, anxiety and uncertainty. Watch how many organizations under attack are blind-sided by the seemingly irrelevant arguments they are forced to address. In other words, create a crisis.
Make the enemy live up to his own rule book. “If their rule is that every letter gets a reply, send 30,000. You can kill them with this because no one can possibly obey all their own rules.” “Ridicule is man’s most potent weapon. There is no defense. It’s irrational. It’s infuriating. It also works as a key pressure point to force the enemy into concessions.” The object is creating anger and fear.
Use tactics your people enjoy. “They’ll keep doing it without urging and come back to do more. They’re doing their thing, and will even suggest better ones. Radical activists . . . are no different than any other human being. We allavoid ‘un-fun’ activities, and but we revel at and enjoy the ones that work and bring results.” “A tactic that drags on too long becomes a drag. . . . Even radical activists get bored. So to keep them excited and involved, organizers are constantly coming up with new tactics.” Keep pressure on a target. “Keep trying new things to keep the opposition off balance. As the opposition masters one approach, hit them from the flank with something new.” Attack repeatedly from all sides, “never give the reeling organization a chance to rest, regroup, recover and re-strategize.” Reminds me of the inexplicable rush to pass stacks of unread, bad legislation.
Any threat usually proves more terrifying than the thing itself. The enemy’s imagination and ego can dream up more consequences than any activist can when perception is reality. Large organizations always prepare a worst-case scenario. The demoralized organization “will expend enormous time and energy conjuring in its own collective mind the most dire conclusion.” “If you push a negative hard enough, it will push through and become a positive.” Violence on the part of the other side “can win the public to your side because the public sympathizes with the underdog. Unions used this tactic. Peaceful (albeit loud) demonstrations during the heyday of unions in the early to mid-20th Century incurred management’s wrath,” often in the form of violence that created brought public sympathy.
“The price of a successful attack is a constructive alternative. Never let the enemy score points because you’re caught without a solution to the problem.” Activist organizations have an agenda, and their strategy is to hold a place at the table and a forum to wield power, so they should have a compromise solution. Anyone else thinking of all those federal favors to ACORN?
“Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it.Cut off the support network and isolate the target from sympathy. Go after people and not institutions; people hurt faster than institutions.”
Just FYI (from his most dedicated fan) you can get an online superscription to the Arkansas Democrat Gazette online with Mike's column every Tues, Saturday, Sunday.
Please read this carefully, as you do think about all the arguments you have heard as of late...things will begin to fall into place, and where you thought you might be going absolutely stark raving mad you will realize- "no I was right, I/we are being manipulated and played".
I know for me this read shed a much needed light on- how, what, where, when and why we got to this point.
Someone today emailed me after reading Mike's column and said they needed time to digest, "healthy eating here".~ Read on~
Below, Craig Miyamoto of Public Relations Strategies cites Alinsky’s dozen rules for duping and using the honorable citizens of the country, a.k.a. “the enemy.” What better way to achieve Alinsky’s dream than to make us dependent by eliminating free enterprise and individual liberties?
The effective way to counteract such calculated subversion is for the hardworking, tax-paying so-called enemies to arise and become radical activists for preserving the Constitution and individual liberty. Alinsky’s rules: Power is not only what one has, but what the enemy believes one has. It is derived through money and people. Those without power must build it from flesh and blood. Both are in ample supply. Government and corporations always have difficulty appealing to people. They usually resort to economic arguments.
Activists should never exceed the expertise of their people. Doing so results in confusion, fear and retreat. Feeling secure adds to anyone’s backbone. Organizations under attack wonder whyradicals don’t address the “real issues.” This is why.
Whenever possible, go outside the enemy’s expertise. Find ways to increase his insecurity, anxiety and uncertainty. Watch how many organizations under attack are blind-sided by the seemingly irrelevant arguments they are forced to address. In other words, create a crisis.
Make the enemy live up to his own rule book. “If their rule is that every letter gets a reply, send 30,000. You can kill them with this because no one can possibly obey all their own rules.” “Ridicule is man’s most potent weapon. There is no defense. It’s irrational. It’s infuriating. It also works as a key pressure point to force the enemy into concessions.” The object is creating anger and fear.
Use tactics your people enjoy. “They’ll keep doing it without urging and come back to do more. They’re doing their thing, and will even suggest better ones. Radical activists . . . are no different than any other human being. We allavoid ‘un-fun’ activities, and but we revel at and enjoy the ones that work and bring results.” “A tactic that drags on too long becomes a drag. . . . Even radical activists get bored. So to keep them excited and involved, organizers are constantly coming up with new tactics.” Keep pressure on a target. “Keep trying new things to keep the opposition off balance. As the opposition masters one approach, hit them from the flank with something new.” Attack repeatedly from all sides, “never give the reeling organization a chance to rest, regroup, recover and re-strategize.” Reminds me of the inexplicable rush to pass stacks of unread, bad legislation.
Any threat usually proves more terrifying than the thing itself. The enemy’s imagination and ego can dream up more consequences than any activist can when perception is reality. Large organizations always prepare a worst-case scenario. The demoralized organization “will expend enormous time and energy conjuring in its own collective mind the most dire conclusion.” “If you push a negative hard enough, it will push through and become a positive.” Violence on the part of the other side “can win the public to your side because the public sympathizes with the underdog. Unions used this tactic. Peaceful (albeit loud) demonstrations during the heyday of unions in the early to mid-20th Century incurred management’s wrath,” often in the form of violence that created brought public sympathy.
“The price of a successful attack is a constructive alternative. Never let the enemy score points because you’re caught without a solution to the problem.” Activist organizations have an agenda, and their strategy is to hold a place at the table and a forum to wield power, so they should have a compromise solution. Anyone else thinking of all those federal favors to ACORN?
“Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it.Cut off the support network and isolate the target from sympathy. Go after people and not institutions; people hurt faster than institutions.”
Just FYI (from his most dedicated fan) you can get an online superscription to the Arkansas Democrat Gazette online with Mike's column every Tues, Saturday, Sunday.
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