Fresno peace activists are taking it to Jim Costa. A coordinated effort from throughout the region is coming together
to “pressure Democratic Representative Jim Costa to vote NO on the September bill to continue funding the occupation of Iraq.” [Peace Fresno president Bill] Simon wrote that “each group will take one day a week to picket in front of Costa’s office and perhaps to go into the office to say ‘No more funding’. We will also encourage passers by to call their Congressman and Senators.”
Rep. Lynn Woolsey recently said that moderate Democrats need to hear the message that people in their district care. In Fresno, the message is getting through to local activists. Jean Hays, President of WILPF (Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom) explains the strategy: “Some say Congress is not listening to us; we say maybe WE ARE NOT TALKING LOUD ENOUGH!!”
This is how we apply pressure and bring about change.
There was a great discussion over the weekend at DailyKos sparked by Major Danby’s How to be a more effective irrational pressure group diary. The diary and subsequent discussion explored the best pressure points at which to apply pressure in order to bring about political movement. It fits nicely with the OpenLeft conversations about the Bush Dog campaign that has included much hand-wringing over the potentially negative consequences of belligerence. But note that this is in-your-face activism without a threatening stick. These aren’t people calling for Rep. Costa’s head. They aren’t screaming for a primary campaign. They’re simply constituents calling on their representative to do the right thing.
This is what the Bush Dog campaign, and responsible citizenship in the first place, is all about. It’s about both insisting that your representative do the right thing and demonstrating that when they do the right thing, there will be support at home and at the ballot box. This may be tough love, but it most certainly is love. It’s validation not only that it’s ok to do the right thing, not only that people expect it of Costa, but that people have faith that he has the willingness and capacity to do the right thing.
The response will be interesting to see, both immediately and in his votes. He’ll have plenty of opportunity to change his voting habits on the Occupation of Iraq in the coming weeks. In the meantime, it’s an encouraging sign to see people taking to the streets in a visible way to protest this occupation and to reassure Representative Costa that there’s support to end this outrage. The people are behind you Rep. Costa. Where are you?
Also at OpenLeft
