All is not lost. As a former Florida voter (I now live in NY) and long time democracy activist I saw up close how young voters were treated by both parties in the 1990s and 2000. They were courted by their peers until election day. Then most of them were discarded like the dupes they felt they were. Their issues such as police brutality, education and minimum wage were way back-burnered. So they stayed away until the Iraq Debacle. Proportionately, not many returned. Indeed there were a few new young voters and many newly retired, mostly evenly divided between the two main parties.

Neither party organization knows how, nor wants to communicate to the youngest voters even using cool media. The kids think politicians are a joke. If they know anything it's that Repubs are raving radio loonies and Dems make boring as boring can be videos. They're kids so what can you expect? I'll tell you.

Bush Is Bad--Impeachment Edition

We went to the opening of “Bush Is Bad”—Impeachment Edition on Oct 28th. Seeing this updated version of Joshua Rosenblum’s political cabaret at the Triad Theater on West 72nd Street convinces me that not every political idealist should or could be a progressive blogger.

Some people must get their message out there in their own very different way. Instead of offering his political opinions online, composer-lyricist Rosenblum serves up his anti-conservative, anti-Bush commentary in this highly sophisticated, yet totally accessible New York cabaret...

New York Artists Post Election Town Hall Meeting

Introduced and moderated by Eleanor Heartney, Larry Litt and others

Date: Saturday Dec. 11, 2004

Time: From 6 to 8 pm

Where: White Box
525 West 26th Street
NY NY

Purpose:

1) Talk about the various relationships artists have with innumerable current issues locally, nationally and globally.

2) Discuss the formation of an artists’ committee to support progressive and liberal candidates of any party through the talents and energies we have to offer.

3) Set dates for future meetings that will implement actions either individually or with groups, such as advocacy group and candidate contact for artists.

When a core committee is formed we will concentrate on creating awareness in the arts and arts education communities of the upcoming elections. We can affect the 2005 New York City Mayoral, School Board, and 2006 gubernatorial campaigns. These elections are important to artists as NYC Dept. of Education, Dept. of Cultural Affairs and NYSCA budget appropriations are essential cultural issues.

Many activist groups are having this type of meeting to evaluate where we go from here. Bear in mind that conservative agendas have prevented arts education from progressing in public schools and installed an atmosphere of self censorship among arts teachers.

This effort may evolve into a state wide organizing campaign for artists in all disciplines through cooperating arts spaces and art departments at colleges and universities. This is an artist run, not a curatorial event. Do not bring slides.

Make your statements, share your views, talk about the future with your fellow artists who created political work for the 2004 elections in all visual media, video, film and performance.

You take people as far as they will go, not as far as you would like them to go.
--Jeanette Rankin (1880-1973) Pacifist and politician