Tag: democracy

On developing a habit of writing politicians

Over the years I’ve developed a habit of writing politicians. I shared this habit with my friend Norbert and I after that chat I decided to share it here in case you want to develop a similar habit.

If you want to write politicians like me, you need to know how to contact those pols that mean the most to you. For me those three are the mayor, the premier of the province and the prime minister. The mayor is reachable by email so I have that address handy. The other two are reachable via a web form, so I have that info in hand also.

I have a template that I use for letters I write to each of them. When I want to write them about an issue, I pull up the template and fill it in. I usually say what the issue is, then what I would like them to do about the issue. Then I send it.

That’s it! It’s a two step process. Very quick. Occasionally I will follow up, but the purpose is really to register my voice. I don’t expect anything other than a canned response. Only one politician’s team, Mayor John Tory, ever made an effort to respond in a more personal manner.

While I do write about issues, I will also write politicians of all sorts and compliment them if they do something I approve of. Typically these will be constructive actions and often ones where politicians are working together.

I write politicians in a style I use for anyone who works for me, because they do. I don’t insult them or get angry with them: I find that never works when it comes to influencing someone I want to change.

Ideally I would write at least one politician a week but it’s more the case I write one a month.

I hope you can take up this habit. It makes me feel like I am doing something small but important in our democracy. Just like voting is small but also important. Good luck with it.

The importance of the Great Good Place

Cities need third places and citizens who live there need to fight for them. A book that makes the case for them is this one: The Great Good Place. As the blurb for the book explains:

In The Great Good Place, Ray Oldenburg gave the term “third places,” where people gather for the pleasure of good company and conversation, and explained just how important they are.

  • Discover the benefits of informal public and civic life and how it contributes to community health and individual well-being.
  • Explore how third places have been, and still are, vital to grassroots democracy.
  • Experience the power of third places and how they bring people together, fostering a sense of belonging and connection.
  • Allow this book to inspire you to create and revitalize your own third places, from coffee houses to community centers, and make a positive impact on your community.
  • Learn from real-life examples around the world, and see how third places have transformed and revitalized communities.
  • Gain a deeper understanding of the history and evolution of third places, from coffee houses to bookstores, and how they continue to play a vital role in our society.
  • Discover the power and potential of third places and how they can change your community and your life.

Reading that, it makes you want to send a copy of the book to the head of Starbucks, a company that’s been destroying third places in neighbourhoods by opening up coffee shops that have no seating. It’s not the only reason that the company has been doing poorly, but it no doubt contributes to it. Indeed, I walked by a new Starbucks last night with no seating and a Tim Horton’s with seating: the former was empty and the latter was not.

There has been a struggle to build better cities since the pandemic hit. Great third places are part of what will make cities better, but they don’t just show up. They need people like you to support them. So take the time to understand that and find out what you can do to help: talk to your local politicians, lobby community groups, share things with your friends, patronize good third places (and not grab and go food places). Perhaps read that book, so you can better express these ideas. If you want to get a copy, one place is here on Amazon: The Great Good Place: Cafes, Coffee Shops, Bookstores, Bars, Hair Salons, and Other Hangouts at the Heart of a Community. Better still, go find if your local bookstore can get you a copy, for bookstores can be good third places, too.

Do Authoritarian or Democratic Countries Handle Pandemics Better?

There’s already been some pundits claiming autocratic countries have been handling the pandemic better than democratic countries.  This piece on the website for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace argues differently. It’s worth reading, but a key part of the piece is this:

Despite attempts by politicians to use the crisis to tout their favored political model, the record so far does not show a strong correlation between efficacy and regime type. While some autocracies have performed well, like Singapore, others have done very poorly, like Iran. Similarly, some democracies have stumbled, like Italy and the United States, while others have performed admirably, like South Korea and Taiwan. The disease has not yet ravaged developing countries, making it impossible to include poorer autocracies and democracies in the comparison.

Keep this in mind, especially afterwards, when writers and authorities argue that we need more controls on people to fight future pandemics.

Democracy in action – An Introduction to Field Organizing

If you want to do more than vote in an election, especially if you are an American, then read this: THIS ELECTION IS FREAKING ME OUT, WHAT CAN I DO!? (An Introduction to Field Organizing). Obviously this is geared towards Hillary Clinton supporters for president, but read it regardless of you who you plan to vote for and at what level.  It should help you get to the point of at least knowing the right questions to ask and where you might go next to get more involved.

Voting is important, but there is much more to democracy than that. If you step up, your involvement will make a difference, regardless of your role. Good for you for taking that next step.