Vacation for a Change
Putting your values to work, one day off at a time.
"I mean I'm sittin' here on the Group W bench 'cause you want to know if I'm moral enough to join the army, burn women, kids, houses and villages after bein' a litterbug.' He looked at me and said, "Kid, we don't like your kind, and we're gonna send your fingerprints off to Washington."
I was 14 years old in 1966, the first time I heard "Alice's Restaurant." For the next six years or so, I joined many others to protest war, work for human rights and help move the country in a more progressive direction.
But what have I done since then? I've done a lot for myself — got educated, got married, raised three kids and built a good career — but, in truth, I haven't really done enough to remake the country. And there are a lot of other middle-aged baby boomers out there like me. At best, we've put our ideals aside to focus on our own little circumscribed lives; at worst, and in truth, we've sold out. Oh, we may still have the same ideals, we may vote, we may sign petitions, we may support NPR and the Sierra Club and the ACLU. But those things are easy, and they're obviously not quite enough to make much of a difference in the big picture these days. But we're not dead yet, and it's not too late.
"And that's what it is, the Alice's Restaurant Anti-Massacre Movement, all you got to do to join is sing it the next time it comes around on guitar. With feeling. So we'll wait for it to come around on the guitar, and sing it when it does. Here it comes."
I'm proposing a new movement: "Vacation for a Change" to help progressive candidates get elected. (Look, I know John Kerry's not as progressive as some of us would like, but he'll just have to do this time around). To join up, all you need to do is spend five of your vacation days, plus a weekend, sometime between Oct. 1 and Election Day working for candidates who are trying to make important changes in our country. This can involve distributing campaign literature, talking to your neighbors and friends at their homes, putting up campaign signs, working the telephones or staffing the polls on Election Day.
You're probably thinking, "Ah, I get it, a slick stealth campaign by Kerry to get himself more volunteers." Wrong. I'm not affiliated with the Kerry campaign, or any other campaign, at all. I'm just an ordinary person, a 51-year old suburbanite, who is getting frustrated with the direction the country is going. I don't have a lot of money to donate to political campaigns, but, like others, I do have vacation time that I can use, and you probably do, too. You might argue, with some reason, that you work hard for your vacation time, and you shouldn't have to give it up for anybody. Trust me, it's worth it. Here's why: First, you probably wouldn't be giving up all of your vacation time, just part of it: You can still fit in the beach. Second, it's not giving up time — it's using your time in a better way. Third, it's a way to translate your ideals into action. Fourth, it's a great way to reconnect with your friends, neighbors and community. And fifth, you'll feel good about yourself.
Instead of just a tan, you'll have something a lot more meaningful to show for your vacation: a better country. But get moving: This is the time of the year when many vacations are being scheduled, and you better start making arrangements at your workplace. Then don't contact me, but instead contact Kerry's campaign headquarters, his neighborhood offices, or the headquarters of any other progressive candidates, from Congress on down to the local level. There are many opportunities to get involved, and this fall is when your time can matter the most.
One snag: Can't Republicans and conservatives use the "Vacation for a Change" concept, too? When you think about it, Republicans already hold the presidency, most of Congress, and many local offices as well. So if you campaign for Republicans, you're not really working for change, are you? You're working for more of the same. Therefore, if you're not in favor of progressive candidates, feel free to use your vacation time as you usually do.
As for the rest of it, let's get in gear, and get others on board, too. Vacation for a Change.
Arlo would be proud.
Bill Dingfelder is a freelance grant writer for nonprofit organizations. He lives in Bala Cynwyd. If you would like to respond to this Slant or have one of your own (800 words), contact Brian Hickey, City Paper managing editor/news, 123 Chestnut St., third floor, Phila. PA 19106 or e-mail hickey@citypaper.net.