I get that organizing is important, but I still don't actually know what that entails. Like what am I supposed to do? It's kind of like telling a straight guy who wants to get a girlfriend to just "be himself." So when I see someone complain about the hellworld we live in and a common response is "organize," it feels kinda condescending. Same with "join an org." What org? How do I know which one is good?

Like for real, why isn't there some sort of organizing guide or FAQ on here? There's a recommended routine for body weight fitness and there's even a 14 day primer on getting started (https://old.reddit.com/r/bodyweightfitness/comments/kofo8l/bwf_primer_buildup_community_event_day_1_happy/). So where is the organizing primer? I mean it can start with something really simple, i.e. "on Day 1, say hi to a neighbor if you see them out walking (no need to get into a convo unless it just happens)." Like tbh how about a 14 Day Primer for organizing? Even the radlibs on the Bernie campaign had training sessions before having volunteers do stuff like call, text, or canvass. Even pick-up-artist idiots have training programs (e.g. day 1 talk to a random stranger and ask them directions, just say your phone is dead, etc.). We should have one too.

  • hogposting [he/him,comrade/them]
    ·
    4 years ago

    "Doing a poor job of rural organizing" =/= "not giving a fuck about rural organizing." I do a poor job with all sorts of things I care about, for instance.

    I tried looking into starting a local chapter where I am, but I “can’t” because I’m under the “jurisdiction” of a chapter in a major city that’s super far away and totally disconnected from the issues here. I would understand if the web site allowed me to create a chapter if there wasn’t one in my zip code.

    See, nothing here seems malicious. There's likely a benign reasons behind this -- they probably want people joining nearby, established chapters instead of forming a dozen chapters for every neighborhood. That might make sense as a blanket policy even if it doesn't work in your specific situation.

    Have you contacted that "local" chapter that's too far away for you to join? "I'm interested, but I can't drive an hour to attend meetings" is a reasonable problem, and they'll probably work with you.