(Group)think global, act local

(Group)think global, act local

December 20th, 2006

I posted a version of this on my own blog, but I think the sentiment is important to some recent discussion here.

Today’s Huffington Post included an entry by David Russell, in what appears to be his first Huff: “When the National is Really Local.” Russell is the writer-director-producer who was responsible for a couple of favorites, Flirting With Disaster and I Heart Huckabees. He has a new film planned for 2008 (The H-Man Cometh) starring Vince Vaughn as a radio personality who identifies too much with his listeners.

Russell briefly rants about the disconnect between the jet-setter interest in hobnobbing with politicians and political issues and the actual issues as they affect their own neighborhood, such as a six-month construction project to widen a highway. As Russell writes:

This is exactly the type of ‘quality of life’ issue that the Clinton administration focused on to great effect, ways that government can make people’s day to day lives better –precisely the kinds of things most politicians (and Brentwood liberals) find too small or boring to get into.

This post resonates with me for two reasons.

First, I wholeheartedy agree with the observation. I’ve clicked my share of insta-faxes from organizations like MoveOn.org in my time, but all it does is prevent a personal critical mass from forming. It is passive activism. The effects are nice for those whose local neighborhood access involves Congress. For the rest of us, it has the unintended effect of allowing individuals to be less involved than they might otherwise be.

The second point, though, is the nature of Russell’s post itself. It has a bit of griping and astute observation, but offers no solution. He doesn’t suggest action readers could take, instead implying that the Hollywood movers-n-shakers should make an adjustment in some non-specific manner. As any good Informatician knows, knowledge itself doesn’t change behavior.

So here, as I gripe about what’s missing in the Russell entry, I’ll try to to avoid a follow-up self-critique here by offering some ideas for local engagement:

1. Figure out who your City Council representatives are, and ask for a meeting with one you don’t know. Or, if you know them all, introduce a councilperson to one of your friends who doesn’t.
2. Look at an agenda from your County Council meetings, and Google up on the issues involved with one of their items.
3. Find a volunteer organization and invest some time to understand the nature of a local need.

These actions aren’t going to make the Huffington Post anytime soon, but imagine what would happen if more people did them.

Entry Filed under: Politics as Usual, State and Local, To-Do List