tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1928622184607631910.post2576864960835024095..comments2023-10-22T01:56:21.243-07:00Comments on Where Do We Go from Here?: New Year’s Resolutions 2016: More Folks and More Tenacity Dave Aldenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04365271229524041881noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1928622184607631910.post-79071895819699262402016-01-03T11:05:02.126-08:002016-01-03T11:05:02.126-08:00Jonathan, thanks for the thoughtful comment and th...Jonathan, thanks for the thoughtful comment and thanks for being a regular reader.<br /><br />I agree that free time is often the reason that elders take greater advocacy roles. But I think there are still ways to be an effective advocate without attending a lot of meetings.<br /><br />Blog posts, letters to editor, and op-ed pieces can play a role. They can't be a complete strategy, but they can be a great start.<br /><br />Even if someone can only free themselves for one or two public meetings a year, they should ensure that the agendas include topics that are desperately important and be prepared to speak eloquently.<br /><br />Also, getting to the occasional event such as a StrongTowns meeting can admittedly have an echo chamber effect, but knowing that there are fifty or more advocates with shared beliefs can still be important.<br /><br />Folks can reach out to friends and neighbors to explain urbanism in casual settings. (StrongTowns called their first advocacy pamphlet "Curbside Chat" for a reason.)<br /><br />One can identify candidates who seem to lean toward urbanism and encourage them to make urbanism a plank in their platforms.<br /><br />Lastly, money can make a difference, whether donating to candidates with urbanist leanings, joining urbanist organizations, or making donations to non-profits which push urbanist goals.<br /><br />I know time will always be a constraint to all of us, including me, but with creativity we can all find ways to put a shoulder to the task.<br /><br />Thanks again for writing and for reading.Dave Aldenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04365271229524041881noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1928622184607631910.post-15031482580657934762016-01-03T07:58:10.748-08:002016-01-03T07:58:10.748-08:00Thank you for another year of exciting posts. I re...Thank you for another year of exciting posts. I read your blog at work, where I can only access blogspot through an RSS reader (kind of a proxy server), so I can't usually comment on them.<br /><br />It's great for the New Year to consider advocacy and what it takes to be an advocate. In my view, the reason that the elders are doing most of the advocacy work is that they are the ones who have the free time to do it. I can attest that raising children eats into your evening and weekend time and makes it impractical to attend meetings. As long as advocacy is principally characterized as meeting attendance, it's going to miss out on middle-aged adults.<br /><br />What you see as your second point is often the result of those same adults engaging with the echo chamber that is the internet. Most comments (certainly including this one) can be boiled down to "+1"; your observation is correct that this kind of "support" is not enough to change minds and enact change.<br /><br />Thanks againJonathanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08520811734907587902noreply@blogger.com