pre-2004: Don't vote? Don't bitch. 2004: Don't volunteer? Don't bitch.

[expatriot]

This is the creed we should all live by for the next month and it is what we should be telling all of our friends, co-workers, etc. We need to get people on the ground working like hell.

[Walt Starr]

1. Sorry, but folks like me work and commute. We have no time to volunteer

I donate money, but time is a commodity in short supply for me.

[crispini]

3. I agree...

that if you don't have time, send money. And I honor you for your contributions. But I work *and* commute, too, and I manage to spend at least 3 or 4 hours a week on the phone or blockwalking. And as a matter of fact, most of the people I know who volunteer ALSO work and commute. So don't generalize. Honestly, I find this a bit insulting. "I've got a REAL job so I don't have time to volunteer." That's BS. I know people who have REAL jobs, commute, a couple of KIDS, are active in their church communities, and STILL find time to squeeze in a bit of political activism.

Edited to add: I don't mean to be rude, here, but by your rule, I am "folks like you" ... I "work and commute" and I still find time to do stuff. I don't want to denigrate your contributions, everyone has to contribute to their own energy level. I just honestly felt like you were insulting people who DO volunteer, implying that they DON'T have jobs and commute.

Now, not having time to watch TV or SLEEP... yes, I'll agree with that.

[TexasSissy]

5. I disagree with you.

I would guess that you have a partner in life to help share duties with (and most of the volunteers seem to be male...wonder why).

When I get off work, I go to my second job - home. Where I grocery shop, cook, clean house, mow the yard, care for an old sick dog (feeding, medication, observation), stroll the dog, pull weeds, pick up rocks, exercise (health is a priority), budget, list out the upcoming home repairs needed, perform home repairs, shop for household supplies, and wash car, among the emergencies that arise. I have about one hour in the evenings free. I need that time to chill out and not go insane. If I take more than that, that borrows time from the above duties, which I then have to do on the weekends.

I also need to be available to work overtime at the office at a moment's notice, so cannot really commit to any activity outside of work. "It's my job."

I'm not saying I work harder than others, and I admire those who volunteer. But more often than not, those who volunteer have partners to share household duties with. My guy neighbor volunteers, and he doesn't have a partner. But he doesn't work as many hours as I do, and he doesn't ever work overtime, and he doesn't have a sick pet (not that he'd care if he did). He has more free time.

Still, I signed up to volunteer with johnkerry.com. All I got was an e-mail telling me to host a house party or something (no, I'm not going to host a house party). So there you go. I did the post-debate e-mails. I still may volunteer, but I'll volunteer for a local politician who is running for the U.S. House. At least they've sent me an e-mail asking me to show up at a specific time and place to do specific things.

[crispini]

6. Not true.

I am single, and I do not have kids.

My life, a couple of months ago, resembled yours a little bit. I spent some time working on my house, gardening, doing home repairs, washing car, grocery shopping and cooking. Basically I quit doing all that stuff. I do not grocery shop. I fly into the grocery store, buy frozen dinners, and eat them. I have dirty dishes in my sink from two weeks ago. I have a toilet that runs constantly unless you pick up the lid and adjust the ballcock after you use it. (Don't wail at me for wasting water, everybody, it's now part of the routine!) Now, I don't have sick pets, but I do find the time to take my cats to the vet when they need. All my bills are paid online and I sit down and balance the budget once a month.

What I'm trying to say is that I'm running my life at 110% right now and I put everything else on hold because I am so convinced that this election is that important.

I wouldn't ask anyone else to do this. I, however, enjoy the hell out of it.

I'm not trying to turn this into a "holier than thou" pissing contest. I mean, basically, everybody needs to contribute what they want.

I just felt like the post I originally responded to was kind of curt and I was a little insulted. "Folks like me work and commute. We have no time to volunteer." I disliked the generalization. If the poster had said *I* just have no time to volunteer... well that's fine, everyone has to be the best judge of their own situation. (Such as your situation with the sick dog.)

But I know a single mom who works full time and who found time to host a precinct walk in her home last Sunday.... well, don't generalize, buddy, that's all I'm saying.

Molly Ivins once said that, as American citizens, we all have second jobs. We have second jobs which mean that we need to keep an eye on our government, give our representatives feedback, volunteer, send money, run for office ourselves, etc. That's how our democracy works. You can participate in your second job how you choose.

Me, I am just sick in my heart when I think about the low voter turnouts of past years and how many times I looked at politics and went, "Somebody should do something about that." Well I have decided that that somebody is ME. I am afraid of the way my country is going and I am going to use as much of my talents and my resources as I have to stop it.

I'll sleep after Nov. 2. Only a month to go.

Edited to add: It's hard work, you know. It's very hard work! We've got a lotta people workin' hard. Hard work! Very hard work.

Hahahahahahahahahaha!

[roseBudd]

10. all hobbies and TV watching have been abandoned

except the daily show

[expatriot]

4. But by giving money you are volunteering...

You are volunteering your labor, your wages.... so you are included in the volunteers

[roseBudd]

9. I canvass on my lunchbreak downtown in SW Ohio everyday

I talk to low income pepople waiting for the bus about th election. Pre Oct. 4 I was regsitering people on my lunch break.

[roseBudd]

12. Just got back from flyering cars in a downtown parking lot in SW Ohio

on my lunchbreak

eating at my desk now

[demnan]

2. I hope more people bitch

the problem has been too few people do.

[LittleClarkie]

7. I met a guy from California at HQ

yesterday. He's putting himself up at a hotel. I didn't ask about his job, but he must be on a leave of absense.

Living in a solid state, he figured if he was going to help he'd better find a swing state and go volunteer. His first choice was Pennsylvania, but they didn't have their act together enough for him at the time. So he called and headed for Wisconsin.

He said this is the first time he's gotten involved in the process. Me too.

I see even wearing the button and slapping the bumper sticker on your car, esp. if you are in Bush country, as being part of volunteering, too. They have it on the list of ways to help, after all. "Visibility" helps, especially if you've never done it before.

Donating money is also getting involved.

Buying office supplies and goodies for your local HQ is getting involved. That's how I started.

Do whatever you can according to how much time you have. Every little bit helps.

[girl gone mad]

8. I always wear a Kerry t-shirt..

when I go out in Denton/Dallas and try to look my best. It's lonely being a Kerry supporter around here.

I'm not out walking or calling, becauser frankly I don't have the personality for it, so this year I've been focused on writing letters and writing/calling/emailing the media.

[LittleClarkie]

13. There you go

There's always something that fits your particular talent. Good for you!

[Lerkfish]

11. I donate money.....

I donated to this site and donated to Kerry and to the democratic party.
I assume my money is still good, and I still have the right to "bitch" whenever I feel like it (though I don't get the correlation, frankly)

[WI_DEM]

14. An Excellent Way to volunteeer without leaving your house

I work two jobs too plus I'm writing a book that I'm contracted to have completed by the end of this year, so it is difficult to do extensive volunteering at this time. I do, when I'm able to, do some phone banking, but there is something that folks can do which is a big help and doesn't take much time and you DON'T have to leave your home--it is writing letters to the editor.

I have addresses of many big and small papers in Wisconsin and every week, i'll write a letter to the editor and make a few copies of the same letter and send to some of the papers on the list--and then repeat the process the next week and send to a different set of papers--an updated letter. Newspapers love getting Letters as it shows community involvment--and they are read by people.

But having given this tip, I still think that anybody who gets out and votes on November 2nd for Kerry and the Democrats as well as donates $$ to the Democratic effort is doing a great service for the campaign and shouldn't be made to feel you're not. Time is a precious commodity and some people just can't make the huge committment in volunteering that others are for many reasons: family, health, jobs.