[free-sklyarov] just a small idea

[Bob Smart]

On Monday 30 July 2001 09:52, you wrote:
> I think that writing individual letters is not very effectful.
> Instead, we should come up with one letter which we can call a press
> release or protest letter of the Free-Dmitry Community.

Everything I've always heard about effective activism is just the opposite: 
that when companies or elected officials receive a bunch of copies of a 
single form letter, they tend to DISCOUNT it.  What really gets their 
attention is individual letters from distinct parties.  Two letters that are 
just duplicates with different signatures show that at least those two people 
were committed enough to sign their names and pay for a stamp...but two 
separate letters show a higher level of commitment and carry more weight.

That's not to say mass mailings are useless.  We should do exactly as you 
say: come up with a consensus letter, have local parties to gather as many 
signatures as we can, and send them all in on the same day to make a dramatic 
statement.  However, we must ALSO do the individual letter-writing effort, or 
we reduce ourselves to the same level of credibility as all that junk mail 
you throw away every day without even opening it.  It serves its purpose, but 
it's no substitute for personal communication.

It's probably also not too soon to start thinking about setting up a 
speaker's bureau.  At least in my area, our Big Media have mostly ignored us, 
and the only reporters I've seen have been from things like trade papers.  
That's good, and we need to keep in contact with those people--but 
eventually, maybe Real Soon Now, even, the big news organizations are going 
to notice us.  When they do, we should be ready with press packets, people 
who are willing to go on talk shows and give interviews, and so forth.  We 
should have lists of contact names and phone numbers for people who are 
prepared to do that, so when a reporter or professional society asks for a 
spokesman, we can seize the opportunity.

-- 

What I wrote above is hereby dedicated to the public domain and may be freely 
used, in whole or in part, with or without attribution.