| My opening reflections about the political climate in | | | | chose to identify as Democratic and Republican, just |
| this country generated a thought provoking response | | | | as I respect people who chose to identify as |
| from a reader. She wrote, "I'm sorry about your | | | | Catholic, Jewish, Protest, Muslim or other. |
| discouragement re: Edwards, but am puzzled at why | | | | I have found community organizing around |
| you would extrapolate from losing faith in him to | | | | professional matters (like the Boston Area Body |
| losing faith in the general political process. Yes, the | | | | Psychotherapy group I reconstituted almost 2 years |
| process is flawed, but it's what we've got." | | | | ago), or writing articles that call attention to specific |
| I appreciated her concerns, particularly because they | | | | issues (like the articles I wrote about "Jenny's Law" |
| gave me an opportunity to put words on far deeper | | | | and "Pet Renting") specific steps I can take that give |
| thoughts about the political process than I had | | | | people tools and handles to "take meaningful action" |
| articulated before. The last few years, I have been | | | | in their own communities and their own lives. |
| acutely aware that many people who have come to | | | | Organizing people into community groups and |
| my office are feeling despair in regard to political | | | | addressing causes we can touch and act upon as |
| action. They feel the political process seems so | | | | volunteers feels like the spiritual heart of good political |
| distant and unrelated to them and their daily lives. | | | | process. It does not have to happen under the |
| Their sense is the political figures are so far removed | | | | auspices of an official political party. It can happen in |
| from the realities of being "an ordinary person" in this | | | | any way that effectively brings people together and |
| country, that political battles, the power they wield, | | | | empowers them to act. |
| and their sphere of concern is in a kind of "political | | | | If there is a way to integrate a community organizing |
| ivory tower," serving the interests of the wealthy | | | | effort with an existing political party or candidate, all |
| and the elite. | | | | the better. I am very much one for networking, |
| For an "ordinary person" to feel connected, and | | | | integrating, streamlining. However, when the issues |
| involved in the political process requires a "handle to | | | | that tug at people's heart strings feel very separate |
| grab onto," that allows one to take action that | | | | from the formal political channels available, why not |
| impacts personal and social change. With a two party | | | | create structures that will achieve one's desired |
| system that can feel media driven at times, to the | | | | outcome? |
| point that the delineation between parties can | | | | Perhaps, in time, there can be more of an integration |
| become blurred or even questionable, many people | | | | of community organizing efforts, with a more official |
| feel confused, alienated and have no idea how to | | | | political process. Surely, the way Deval Patrick got |
| connect to the political process. | | | | elected as governor of Massachusetts was by |
| I can surely relate to these sentiments. I like to be | | | | bringing people together in a more personal, social |
| able to "get a handle" on social issues, and either join | | | | network- based style. I found myself pulled into the |
| in efforts to make a difference, or if necessary, | | | | Patrick campaign for this very reason. My friends and |
| found or co-create efforts to make a difference if I | | | | colleagues were excited and felt that this was a |
| can't find an effort already underway. I have come | | | | campaign where there was room for THEM. I met |
| to realize that there is a parallel in the way spiritual | | | | Diane Patrick at an event, and she felt very real and |
| community has moved in this country over time with | | | | human. |
| the way political community may need to move. | | | | Likewise, I was pulled in to the John Edwards |
| While some people still find meaning and value in | | | | campaign by seeing him speak and talking with him |
| traditional religious institutions, be they Catholic, | | | | personally about matters of deep concern to me, |
| Jewish, Protestant, Muslim or other, there has been a | | | | and seeing he had a real grasp of the depth of what |
| growing number of people who identify themselves | | | | I was talking about. He moved from being "an |
| as "spiritual but not religious." This allows people to | | | | anonymous figurehead" to a very real person who |
| focus on the inherent value, and the very personal | | | | shared common values. |
| nature of spirituality, without getting lost in the | | | | I realize the process of running for president requires |
| "political dogma" of a particular religious institution. I | | | | working with huge numbers of people, and the scale |
| belong to a Unitarian Church because it welcomes | | | | of such an effort may make it impossible for a |
| ALL spiritual belief systems, and has a strong thread | | | | candidate to remain real and human. And there is no |
| of social justice and social action. I have always been | | | | way a candidate can have even a 5 minute personal |
| a deeply spiritual person, yet have never identified | | | | conversation with every individual voter in this |
| with a major religious denomination. | | | | country and hear his/her concerns. However, it is the |
| Likewise, when I see the way both Democratic and | | | | very act of personal, human contact that transforms |
| Republican parties promote themselves through | | | | the experience of the political process. People like to |
| today's media, I often cannot relate to tactics. | | | | feel connected in a real, tangible way. People need to |
| Sometimes there are real differences in the positions | | | | be heard and need to matter as individuals as well as |
| one party or the other takes. At other times, it | | | | in the collective. |
| appears I am just watching a media contest, where | | | | Finding ways to integrate the personal touch of |
| the tactics of one party mirror the tactics of the | | | | community organizing with the formal political process |
| other, and I don't feel comfortable watching what | | | | is equivalent to finding a way for spiritual but not |
| feels like a "cat fight" or sorts. | | | | religious people to have the heart of their values |
| I have tried to define my own "spiritual but not | | | | heard and integrated into formal religious |
| religious" equivalent for political action, since I think | | | | organizations. How different the world would be if |
| the concept is applicable here. I respect people who | | | | we could build these bridges! |