Greater Boston Tea Party Activism for Smarties! 12-07-11
November
was all about activism for me. Between
volunteering for municipal candidates,
lobbying against that abominable Bathroom
Bill (which our legislature passed!),
collecting signatures for the Voter ID
citizen petition, delivering petitions to
Town Halls and observing a municipal
election recount, it was a whirlwind
month.
But let’s face it – if you are
a conservative political activist in
Massachusetts, you’re always busy.
Not all of us will choose to make
political activism our life’s work.
But each and every one of us can find a
way to fit it into our lives. The
question is “How?”
When Tea Party activists ask how they can
have an impact, I ask them to consider
what issue or issues they are passionate
about. I recommend they figure out how
many hours a week or month they are
willing to commit. Finally, I ask them
what skills they have that they can
“contribute” towards their
activism. These are important things to
consider. Over the past three years, I
have encountered more than a few people
who jumped in to a cause and either over
committed themselves or simply lost
interest because it was not their
passion. It’s very easy to get
distracted by the story of the day, get
caught up in the urgency or excitement of
the moment and latch onto someone else’s
pet cause. We all have something to
contribute. Be a smart activist. Make
sure you are contributing what you can
where you want to most.
Activism can be a tricky business in
which to participate. In my opinion, not
every act of activism is worthwhile and
not every issue is worthy of heroic
efforts. Strategy is crucial. This is one
lesson the Tea Party movement learned
early on. When the media remarks that the
Tea Party movement is dead because we don’t
hold weekly rallies and marches, occupy
public property and shout at elected
officials at town hall meetings, I smile.
I smile because I know what we are doing
behind the scenes. I know where the
activism is happening – in the State
House, in Town Halls and at your local
Tea Party meeting.
I participated in a recount in the city
of Worcester on November 28th. My friend
Donna Colorio ran for School Committee.
She won on Election Day by a margin of
five votes, which resulted in a recount.
She then lost by two votes. She then
requested a hand recount. This meant
Donna and her campaign manager and
campaign volunteers had to clear a day to
observe as the city conducted a hand
recount of some 19,000 ballots from 50
wards. It is a time consuming process, it
is physically grueling and it takes a day
out of your life. I was all in!
As I watched over the shoulders of
various poll workers determined to get an
accurate count once and for all, the
importance of the role of everyone in the
room became evident. The one hundred plus
volunteers for the two campaigns were
pushed to the limit standing for hours at
a time, analyzing marks on ballots and
squinting to read tally sheets all the
while trying to be polite and
appreciative towards poll workers who
themselves were going above and beyond in
their effort to count every single vote.
The City officials were courteous and
forthcoming toward questions and concerns
workers, volunteers and candidates posed.
It was truly a community effort aimed at
ensuring the integrity and validity of
every vote cast. I left Worcester City
Hall feeling as if I had accomplished
something. (Of course when I received the
news an hour later that my friend Donna
had been declared the victor by a
miraculous 33 votes, I was jubilant!) All
in all, a day well spent. One election
won.
When I am presented with an issue, a
cause, a news story or simply a personal
plea for assistance, I look at what I
personally can do, how it fits in with my
“mission”, how it fits into the
mission of the Greater Boston Tea Party
and, finally, the movement as a whole. I
strategize the best way to achieve the
desired result. Is a rally necessary or
would a letter writing campaign be more
effective? Can I present this issue or do
I need to find an expert? Do I have time?
Am I interested in this or can I find
someone else to take it on? I find this
analytical approach helps me to stay
focused and maximize the effect I can
have.
We definitely need more activists on our
side. We must also be smart about where,
when and how we “act”.
Christen Varley is the head of the
Greater Boston Tea Party and one of its’
founders. You can email her at: cvarley@greaterbostonteaparty.com
November
was all about activism for me. Between
volunteering for municipal candidates,
lobbying against that abominable Bathroom
Bill (which our legislature passed!),
collecting signatures for the Voter ID
citizen petition, delivering petitions to
Town Halls and observing a municipal
election recount, it was a whirlwind
month. 
