Grass roots activists

Are ‘Grassroots Activists’ For Real? YES,We Are!

In a recent Parade Magazine article written by Sharon Male, the author suggested that most “grass roots” groups were simply fronts for “sophisticated marketing campaigns financed by businesses and special-interest groups”. In her article she went so far as to point out some of the individuals who started some of these “grass roots” campaigns. That is where she appeared to have ended, not doing any additional in-depth research to find out ‘who’ the other players in these groups are.

The fact that someone with a few nickles to rub together may have ‘started’ a campaign doesn’t take into consideration who has now joined and who is now carrying the torch as well. If you stop and take a moment to look at who is pushing the wind turbines, it is wealthy T. Boone Pickens. However, a little additional time doing some research would find that there are now thousands of ‘grass-roots’ folks just like you and me carrying the torch and supporting wind energy to make our Country more energy dependent without foreign oil.

Anybody running for public office needs some ‘seed money’ to get their word out. For the average ‘Joe the Plumber’, we do not have these resources so we appreciate the fact that someone who has the funds initiates these petitions so that the rest of us can include our voices without the cost involved. Look at the people who are throwing tea bags in the river in Boston and other areas. Someone had to ‘start’ the movement, somebody with the finances to get the word out and begin the process of organizing. If the topic wasn’t popular, then there wouldn’t be any ‘grass roots’ involvement and the idea would die for lack of interest and support.

Bottom line is, Sharon Male has done many of us, who are the ‘grass roots’ behind many protests, a disservice since we are simply more “Joe the Plumbers” wanting to have our voices heard by our Local, State, and Washington representatives. We would hope that Ms. Sharon Male, who wrote the Parade Magazine article, retracts her blanket definition of what the majority of ‘grass roots’ members are. We ARE NOT being “financed by businesses and special-interest groups.”

Written by a proud “grass roots” member of Americans for Prosperity.