How in the hell did a 24-year-old progressive black woman win a seat in the state legislature in the heart of Newt Gingrich country? How did University of Michigan students change the tide in the national debate on affirmative action? How did a 25-year-old Green become mayor of a city in New York? How—and I kid you not—did a young Latina help topple the mighty Daley political machine in Chicago?
The answer to all these questions and more comes in a brand new book from The League of Pissed-Off Voters. The book, entitled How to Get Stupid White Men Out of Office, is a collection of inspirational stories chronicling how young people have reclaimed political power and used it to change their world. These youth activists, most with no previous political experience, tell us about their victories in a lively and entertaining way. Reading about their grassroots campaigns is like having a conversation with your best friend. Sometimes you get the feeling that they are trying too hard to be “hip.� But they are funny, down-to-earth and full of that lovely “in-your-face� rage.
From racist mayors to greedy developers to new multi-million dollar prisons, these kids have plenty to be angry about. And they channel that anger into action. They mobilize their community, get out the vote, and make their voices heard. They are a “youthquake.� And the best part is that this youthquake is us. The people telling these stories are not superheroes; they have no magic powers. They are just normal kids who got together and made a stand—and kicked ass.
The authors of this book are part of a rising youth culture that is fighting for power in order to make the world a more tolerable place. As one of the book’s editors states: “I want to live in peace...[and] peace is a result of good decisions in every realm of life. We must have the power to make those good decisions, or to choose people we trust to make those decisions for us.� This book is a manual for asserting that power. It tells us how to defeat Bush and his coterie of “chicken-hawks� in November, how to reclaim democracy at the grassroots, how to forge effective coalitions on a large scale, and how these victories relate to the long-term struggle for a better world.
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Dynamic Magazine
