Ladies and Gentlemen, I'm at a loss to understand this and would really appreciate some help. Sincerely.
By now, many of you have seen posts on this site, as well as others, about the joint effort between VoteVets.org and Wes Clark called stopIranWar.com.
Both General Clark and Jon Soltz have live-blogged about it here with you.
Some of you have even signed the petition we've been telling you about - and that's greatly appreciated! - but when I say some, I mean very few, relative to the number of Kossacks out there. Please help me understand why that is. What are we doing wrong?
We put up a poll to ask you. But you didn't vote in it. We put up several other polls, yesterday, on three sites, but you didn't go there. We've sent you emails, but you didn't open them. We've posted diaries here, but you didn't read them. So I'm asking you; what does it take to move you to act in so small a way as clicking a link and signing a petition?
If you think this is a candidate thing, it isn't. If you think this is just a Wes Clark thing, it isn't. If you think this is just a Democrats' thing, it isn't. It's a stop another devastating war thing. It's a non-partisan thing.
Do you know how long it actually takes to click the link and sign this petition we've been telling you about? I do. I timed it last night. Leaving the defaults in place, it took me 43 seconds to sign it both for the White House and for Congress. Now granted - I have a cable modem. So, add another minute for DSL or Dialup...maybe 2.
Maybe you think petitions are a waste of time. All I can say is, is your time so valuable you can't waste 43 seconds of it to maybe help prevent an impending war?
Maybe you think petitions don't work. Tell Gray Davis that. It was a successful petition drive that led to his recall as California's Governor. A petition signed by Democrat and Republican voters.
There's no way to know if this petition will have the desired effect, but one thing's for sure - the more signatures on it, the greater the chance it will have the desired effect...Diplomacy first and until all other options are exhausted; war only as a last, last, last resort!
Please. Help make that difference. Help create the desired effect. Sign the petition. Do it today.
And, just in case you missed it yesterday, I'll re-post the poll below. Please feel free to email me directly, if you want to say something about the petition, but not in public, at dm@deadmessengers.com .
You can also vote in these, and more expansive polls at DeadMessengers.com and StopIranWarButtons.com
Finally, thank you for listening to those of us posting about this petition almost daily...something we're likely to continue until we've achieved the desired effect ;-)
And, at the risk of repeating myself, remember something:
I can guarantee you doing nothing will never change the course of history. I can't guarantee you doing something will, but it might, and might is all the chance any of us ever get - and sometimes that's enough.
UPDATE #1: Here's a little more food for thought on why this is so damned important to all of us: Tom Rinaldo's current diary, "READ THIS ON IRAN: "Diplomacy at Its Worst" - Nicholas D. Kristof
UPDATE #2: New podcast out "Iranian Voices in America". Definitely worth a listen!