What was it about the past that gave us the drive to protect our rights?

[bigtree]

Individual rights? Worker rights? Voter rights?

We have suffered abuses of our rights, maybe not so much now as in the past, but our nation doesn't seem to have found the will or the way to overcome the assault on our individual, civil, or constitutional rights by the present conservative oligarchy in power. Wages, benefits, workers comp, collective bargaining, anti-discrimination, are all suffering under the weight of influence stacked against us.

What will it take to galvanize Americans to actions to protect these basic rights as we did in the past? The Civil Rights movement ushered in an era of activism and the efforts to unionize our factories sparked actions that outlawed child labor, gave women more access to work, improved wages, benefits. Is there a similar effort that could ignite a passion to defend ourselves against the present cabal of industry conservatives who have infected all mechanisms of our government?

Is there anything short of utter collapse of civil society that will compel us to begin to rebuild these defenses that we so prized in previous decades?

[RethugAssKicker]

1. If Bush could be exposed

for what he truly is... and a sincere investigation into the religious-corporate takeover of this country also exposed, I believe we may have a chance to regain some of our altruism again.

[bigtree]

3. regime change would be a good start

I can't believe, however, that the truth about this cabal is not already known. I think there is a deep apathy that has overtaken the electorate. I wonder what in the bag of wrongs will spark us to act collectively to turn them back?

[DURHAM D]

2. What makes you think an utter collapse of civil society will

change the tide.

In order for a republic to work the citizens have to understand their role in providing the government they want and one that serves their needs. In order for this republic to work the foundation is good public education to "create an informed electorate". As best I can determine they no longer teach this concept in our failing public schools.

[bigtree]

4. I think it's less about ignorance and due more to apathy

Govt.101 has always been lacking with voters. I think there needs to be more of a movement than a natural progression to effectively redirect our concerns into action. For that to happen there needs to be a spark of resentment, a drive to action by our leadership, and a belief that we'll all suffer if we don't prevail. A perfect storm of cause and opposition.

[pitohui]

5. there was never any such drive to win rights

those who fought for such rights were always a reviled minority

the hate against those who worked for civil rights in the 50s and 60s was scary, lots of people killed, not just the famous 3 civil rights workers but many others were "disappeared" and those young people never seen again

in 60s and 70s, young men w. long hair who protested war were attacked and beaten by the type of redneck that now wears long hair

hate against women in the 70s was also disturbing, women were at times physically assaulted for working in a man's job, i was one of them

only a minority, with nothing left to lose, ever fights for the rights that all enjoy

you never galvanize the majority because the majority have something to lose, if only their health


if you are waiting for the majority to stand up for rights, you wait forever

it's up to us

[bigtree]

6. I do think that individual actions gave rise to and facilitated change

Doesn't the majority eventually have to codify the results of minority activism? We can spark resistance and action as a minority but we have to galvanize the majority for effective progress on any inituitive.

I get that we have to have roots of activism but we already have these in action. We still haven't found the avenue to a wider movement that would see our concerns addressed by legislation. So many inituitives undone by this cabal. So many to replace. Where do we start?

I actually believe that there has to be some awakening that, unfortunately, can only come from the depths of disaster barring some effective regime change.