Hi again everyone. It’s Cenk. It’s been 7 weeks since I announced Operation Hope, and I have to say that I’m impressed with the wide range of responses. From those of you trying to keep the conversation going and on track from what I originally asked, to those of you sticking around to engage with one another in interesting and important conversations – all of you are important to making this community into what we’re building together.
I want to begin by apologizing for not being available as much as I originally intended. Obviously, running for President of the United States is no small task, but it has made me far less available than I expected.
I’ve learned a few things over the years, one of them that’s really true is - it takes a village. Thank you for being that village. Thank you for being here, whether you are excited no matter what we do, or you are frustrated with the pace of things. I can relate to all of it and truly believe that all of you are necessary for our progress.
That said, we are going to continue with the original plan of coming up with ideas together, but I’m bringing in some extra help to guide us along. What I’d love from you is…
- Agree on the top three pieces of legislation for our community to organize around in order to create real change in the real world.
- Explain (a) WHAT the legislation is, (b) whether it’s at the federal level or other, and (c) WHY you think it should be the one we focus on.
- By Friday, December 1, have one person post this list and tag @Alison Hartson. She’s going to help support you as you self-organize. I will be looking at your work and popping in from time to time.
After December 1, we’ll figure out the next steps together.
I want to finish with my heart-felt thanks to all of you. There are a few ideas that some of you have put out there, from a letter writing campaign, to focusing on Michigan’s minimum wage ballot measure, to a hunger strike, to designing a mobile app for exposing corruption, to collaborating with celebrities (that one is really hard), among so many other ideas. No matter which of the suggestions seems the most doable to you, I absolutely love that people are willing to take risks and present their ideas. I also love how the vast majority of conversations have been productive, welcoming, and collaborative even when you disagree with someone. THAT is how we move forward together.
Let’s keep it going!
Cenk