Being involved with your values - a little each week

It's kind of like those ads where they guilt-trip you into thinking that every time you buy a cup of coffee you could have kept little Mabkala in Ethiopia from getting malaria. That's the kind of approach I am using here :o) You don't have to quit your job or your family to help make a difference in the lives of others. Even just being courteous to the people you run into every day makes a big difference. But if you are the sort that likes to get involved in the political aspect of human and civil rights, don't forget to regularly renew your voice of support. Sure, you sent a letter to an elected official a couple years ago about Darfur or some other tragedy, but what about sending another to let him or her know it still matters to you? And if there's been a recent election, you may have a new bunch to deal with who haven't heard from you on th e issues you care about. I signed up early with the Million Voice for Darfur campaign (to keep with that example), but so what? In the words of Janet Jackson, I'm sure those suffering and dying would dearly love to know "What have you done for me lately?" For example, there is the wristband campaign, a new letter writing initiative, and other things that can still be done. For an example on the environmental side of things, while many people went to see An Inconvenient Truth, many more are also stepping up and inviting their friends over for a movie night to show the film to a wider audience.

For just 20 minutes a week, you could sign several pre-formatted letters to your elected officials and donate a comfortable amount to the causes of your choice. Little Mabkala is waiting. And as always, there are handy links to many of these worthwhile causes in this very blog's sidebar. Click now. And thank you.