Unity.08 is organizing to get as many high school students as possible to be present in polling places on November 7, 2006. They would ask all voters to sign this petition: “To the Congress of the United States: As We the People vote today, we are asking you to do your part and end the blame-game politics of Washington. Partisan bickering cannot solve the crucial issues we face. America deserves better.”
As this is non-partisan activity, and arguably educational, Unity.08 hopes to get the support of school administrators and teachers to cooperate with the plan. Otherwise, this activity could only be carried out in the hours during which school is not in session. For more information, see www.unitypetition.com.
What a joke, asking bickering, blame-gaming partisan politicians to stop their blame-gaming and partisanship.
It’s this kind of pointless, but attemptedly “feel-good,” activity that helps create cynics out of otherwise (relatively) innocent teenagers.
I might call this “anti-partisan,” not “non-partisan”! That is, if you understand Unity08 to be an entity that opposes political parties as they current exist. One could also see Unity08 as a political party itself, as it exists to elect candidates, which is a reasonable definition for a “political party,” isn’t it?
Most petition campaigns are tools towards another end. I certainly hope that before participating, high-school students ask what will happen with the names and addresses they collect. It would seem to me the purpose is to accumulate a mailing list to fundraise for the Unity08 presidential ticket (whether the lead of that ticket is Michael Bloomberg or someone else).
People will need to organize and speak in a variety of forums (letters to the editor, running for office, etc.) in order to change the nature of politics for the better. Petitions are one of the least powerful options available.