[SustainableTompkins] Getting the word out - Taking Stock

[Valorie Rockney]

Hi friends,

When Mathis Wackernagel was at IC a couple years ago, he said some  
things that have stuck with me ever since. He said that instead of  
saying we were "preaching to the choir," and feeling uneasy about it,  
he thought it was more accurate to consider it "choir practice,"  
something necessary and valuable that brings us together and keeps us  
learning.

He also recommended not reaching out  first to people who are openly  
skeptical of and hostile to our ideas. Instead he suggested reaching  
out first to people who tend to agree with us, but need more know-how  
or sense of solidarity in order to figure out what to do and how to  
do it. That way our efforts will reach those who want to help in the  
work, many of whom will become allies and co-workers.

I especially like his ideas about supporting and encouraging each  
other, and I want to thank all of you for giving me daily inspiration  
and new ideas as I read these postings.

All the best,
Valorie



On Oct 13, 2007, at 11:23 AM, Thomas Shelley wrote:

> At 10:25 AM 10/13/2007 -0400, you wrote:
>> From: Rachel's Democracy & Health News #928, Oct. 11, 2007
>>
>> *TAKING STOCK*
> ....rest deleted....
>
> Dear Tony--Thanks for sending this really important but very scary  
> post to
> the list!  Hopefully writings  like this will prompt more folks to  
> raise
> off the couch and do something proactive with their lives besides  
> living in
> their cultural trance.  Only problem is this should be on the front  
> page of
> the Journal and every other small town newspaper in the U.S.  Sending
> something to the ST list is useful for background material and  
> motivation
> for all of us, basically members of the choir at this point, but  
> how to we
> get this view to the NSCAR  and NFL fans and the folks down on the  
> farm and
> in the inner city???  This is the big leap we all need to work on.   
> Thanks
> again, and keep up the good work.   Tom
>
> Tom Shelley
> 118 E. Court St.
> Ithaca, NY 14850
> 607 342-0864
> tjs1 at cornell.edu
> http://www.myspace.com/99319958
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