On Jan 15, 2006, at 10:13 AM, Doug Henwood wrote:
>
> The reproductive rights movement has relied very very heavily on
> litigation at the expense of building popular support and
> membership organizations. Faye Wattleton, who headed Planned
> Parenthood 1978-92 and now runs the Center for the Advancement of
> Women, agreed with me strongly when I made that point in an
> interview <http://www.leftbusinessobserver.com/Radio.html#030717>.
> This is also true to a lesser degree of civil liberties, feminist,
> and enviro orgs - not the grassroots types, but the establishment
> ones.
>
So this may be true. But take a good look at our consumerist society. People are not engaged, don't give a damn if they have the time to give a damn. It took the few disabled people at the top of the movement to make things happen because of the level of poverty at which most disabled people live but also passivity. Membership organizations don't seem to thrive. I've watched many of them go under. In our movement its the same old troopers and we are burned out. There is a tough mindset to overcome to get people involved.
In the general population there is also the fact that people are required to work so hard -- long long hours --- that they don't have time to be "civic". You should see how Paramount is working my daughter, 13-14 hour days and Saturdays. She has no time for anything, not even to deal with her own personal things much less participate in anything political. From where I sit I see this happening in many businesses. Workers are expected to be on the job, regular 40 hour workweeks are disappearing. This may sound defeatist but the corporate state has people running scared just to pay their rent. Times have changed to the extreme. Opportunities that existed for me don't exist for young adults today. I don't think my daughter has much of an opportunity to own a home for instance. It is just out of reach these days in LA. One must have some personal security to participate in membership organizations.
Marta