Want to Take a Stand? Here's How

Most topics discussed on this site relate to politics or some problem in our society today.  Perhaps sometimes a blogger just feels like writing down an experience or random thought but we can all agree that many topics are a problem/solution type of post.  Well as many people have most likely realized, there are certain problems and everyone has their own ideas for solutions to those problems.  So what can we do?  We are primarily young, educated individuals primarily living in the US.  So is there any way ProU can have a bigger impact than giving one student a couple of dollars for college?  What can we do? 

Speak Out, Speak Up, Just Speak

We've all grown familiar with the idea that politicians just don't care about our demographic.  Whether you are white, black, democrat, republican, the first thing anyone notices about you is your age.  Age is supposedly a representation of power, the older you are, the more powerful/influential you can possibly be.  So we are going to have that going against us until, well, we grow up more.  But there are a great number of people on this site who are passionate, brilliant, and have the ability to eloquently speak their mind to a vast audience.  We have the sarcastic Nicholas Aden's and the thoughtful Son_of_Disaster's.  We have people with fervor and flair, with controversial ideas and quick rhetoric, we come from every possible background and ethnicity and there is no reason for the ProU world to stop growing.

So whether you are the serious competitor who is only here for the opportunity to win a scholarship or you just want an outlet for all your thoughts and ideas, at ProU you are giving the chance to inspire and be heard.  And there is no reason we shouldn’t think of extending the reaches of ProU, no reason we shouldn’t harness the passion and intelligence of our community and strive to obtain more than we have right now.

What to Do

Every couple of days, or if they feel antsy, every couple of hours, the moderators come up with a new poll and ask for the visitors and members of ProU to voice their opinion.  These polls mainly relate to current events but also offer a chance for users to give feedback on site upgrades or overall functionality.  I see these polls as a gateway to a much bigger opportunity.

My suggestion for ProU is this… why not change the nature of the polls to fit a new purpose.  As a community we can reply to a given topic once a week.  For an example let’s say the Re-authorization of the No Child Left Behind Policy.  A page can be dedicated solely to allow for people’s opinions and questions about No Child Left Behind. (NCLB)  There can be as much discussion and debate on the topic as the moderators deem appropriate and people can freely express their opinions one way or the other.  After 5 days of debate the moderators open the polls for (example) 1 day specifically for voting.  This way people will more likely read other’s responses and ideas than just voting based on their gut.  It improves the chances of users becoming educated on an issue rather just going on their own knowledge.

Then after the debates and squabbles we can come together and vote on NCLB after a week of reasonable and intelligent discussion.  Now for the kicker, once we are done voting on NCLB we make our opinions heard.  Right now I feel like votes get cast and then we move on to a new topic, wouldn’t it be nice to know that after your thoughtful response and deliberation that our ideas are being passed on? 

And who do we pass on our opinions too you might ask?  Simple the person you elected(sorry to minors, “the person your district elected”)  Every member of congress has their own web page and although it will take some work to list them all, each and every congress member has emails that the public is encouraged to use.  Therefore we, eventually, would be able to send out a mass email to all members of congress saying “The users at ProU…do (or do not) support the re-authorization of NCLB.”  Obviously we would explain how we reached such conclusions and a brief synopsis of the goals of the website as well.

To Speak or Not to Speak

That is the question, right?  I can’t tell you how many times I have heard people complain about how they aren’t heard by the government, how they feel pointless in the eyes of our political leaders.  Well now is a chance to be heard, now is the time to step up and make a difference.  Everyone here obviously enjoys writing on some level and now is the chance to make your ideas understood.  I know for a fact the first thing someone is going to do is say that no politician is going to read an email sent by a random website any you know what, your right.  Politicians don’t check their public email addresses but guess who does, their staff.  And guess who will see the that the same website keeps sending emails once a week on different topics, the same staffer.  And guess who will start taking more interest in this website that keeps sending them those emails, that staffer.  And guess who will finally mention the fact that each week he receives an email from our website…catching on yet?  That is how things work in government, you don’t to just talk to the head guy, you have to work your way up the ladder.  And I think it is time we started moving on up?

What are your opinions on this idea?  I am open and willing to hear everything and I am sure so are the moderators, if they agree with me.  I am a believer that if we chose to we can make a difference; it is just a matter of standing up and demanding it.    Have a nice day   

T

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