I've kinda had it with all of the BS

[JDPriestly]

70. Actually, civil disobedience isn't automaticallly effective.

It makes the person being disobedient feel real proud, but the anti-war movements illustrate how ineffective civil disobedience can be. The integration movement shows how effective it can be.

Civil disobedience has severe limits. That is what I am saying.

It's much better to run good candidates and work to get them elected. The best way to get good people running the country is for good people to be active at the local level in politics. Join your local Democratic Club. Get to know the politicians, your state and local and federal representatives -- your employees -- personally. If your congressman doesn't recognize you in the crowd, you are not active enough.

We can't expect our politicians to support us unless we talk to them on a personal level and let them know how we are thinking and why. And yes, you can do this. But you have to be willing to work for candidates who are good people -- honest and wise.

I often disagree with the Democrats in the federal government on specific policy issues, but I have to balance that by appreciating just how much pressure they are under.

Corruption is one of our biggest problems - -maybe in the end, it is our fundamental problem. If you volunteer and get to know your political leadership as the human beings they are, you have a better chance of letting them know that you expect them to be honest and not corrupt.

Don't vote for a candidate who refuses to meet with constituents.

And make sure that when you meet with candidates and politicians you thank them for their time and are gracious to the good people. I am lucky because my congressman and state representatives are good, ordinary people you can talk to. I bet the Democrats who serve for you are too if you get to know them. Tell them what you think about the issues. Ask them their opinions. It's your right.

Don't be mean with them. Civil disobedience is only for very limited situations -- and doesn't usually win the hearts and minds of the targets.

And violent disobedience gets you where you deserve to be -- in trouble.