On our “Objective” page, you’ll find we designed ALA as a place of collaboration for Free Market movements. But what does that mean in everyday language?

Grassroots activism is growing in all 50 states thanks, in part, to the Don’t Go Movement and Tax Day Tea Party which would eventually become ALA. But, as Eric Odom, ALA’s Executive Director, notes, “The real rock stars are ordinary Americans who put action to their feelings and got out and did something!” This unprecedented, public activism on the part of usually private Americans as evidenced by the Tea Parties has excited and baffled “professional” activists.

Traditionally, political activism has meant participation in groups with specific agendas and memberships. The message and the work are controlled by the group, not the members. Membership is tightly controlled. Politically active people are a valuable commodity. Their emails, money and availability for work are highly sought after. But there is little working together between groups since competition trumps collaboration.

When a million activists showed up around April 15th wanting their own ideas to be heard, it turned activism upside down. What should be done with them? What could be done with them? How does a highly structured enterprise like political activism deal with a wildfire?

The answers coming from traditional activists are … traditional. Contain the blaze in their structure to use it as a backfire fighting battles they choose. This misses the message of the explosion of activism going on today. It isn’t a carefully set backfire. It’s hundreds of fires set by a lightning storm and presenting multiple “threats”.

That does not mean no structure or direction is needed. The question is “What structure or direction is needed?” Rather than trying to tame the wildfire and bend it to a specific purpose, why not find the purpose of the wildfire itself and help to accomplish it?

Instead of starting backfires, we choose building a refiner’s fire. In refining, the goal is obtaining a pure product. To do so you don’t just toss ore in a fire and hope for the best. You build a structure – a crucible – to focus the fire, not to control it. In the end, you have a valuable bar of gold. That is what ALA is all about.

Are we a structure? Yes. But our purpose is to make you effective at addressing what you have decided is important. We won’t tell you what is important, we’re just the crucible to focus your fire. We’ll connect you with co-laborers, tools to get you started and keep you going, ideas others have found helpful and more to use as you choose to achieve your goals.

As I said at the beginning, ALA is a place of collaboration for Free Market movements. Whatever you choose to do, we can help you do it better and do it together. If refining for results and doing so in community sounds good to you, we invite you to join us.

Welcome to the American Liberty Alliance!

Ken Marrero
Director of Grassroots Outreach and Coalitions
American Liberty Alliance

Ken Marrero

Ken has blogged personally at Blue Collar Muse since 2006, founded the Tennessee ConserVOLiance in 2007 and serves as ALA's Director of Grassroots Outreach and Coalitions.

Tweet This Post to Facebook Digg This Bookmark at Delicious
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.