I just took part in an action that I realize is more historically significant than the issue itself.

There is a little local brouhaha going on about the behavior of a member of the Board of Selectmen.

Follow this link to one of the items about this on Sturbridge Political Watch.  This item is a call to sign a recall petition to recall the board member.

The value of the internet in this event cannot be underestimated.

The Internet Is A News Source

I have always felt at a disadvantage in local politics, because I found it hard to be as informed as one can be with respect to national politics. You just never get enough news coverage of what is going on locally. True the author of the Sturbridge Political Watch is a Board of Selectman member, but the other members are free to write their own blog if they want.

Also this is not my only source of information. After being alerted to this story, I had opportunities to hear from eye witnesses.

The Internet can promote timely calls for action

This email I received is a great example

Hi.

The recall petition is circulating this a.m. at the recycling center until noon.  This afternoon some residents are collecting signatures around various neighborhoods in town.  I'm unsure if they plan to be in your neighborhood? 

You may also stop by our house to sign at 85 Breakneck Road.  Our number is 347-9216.

Thanks.  It's slow-going, but we are continuing to collect signatures and hoping to hit the 1300!

Jennifer Babcock

The Internet is awakening a new level of democracy

As a result of seeing the news items about this issue, having the time to mull it over, and then receiving a reminder about the petition, Sharon and I drove over to the Babcock’s and signed the petition..

Had the internet not been available, I might not have taken action after I missed my opportunity to sign the petition outside the polling place for a recent local election.

Local politicians can no longer depend on the apathy of the local electorate nor the local electorate’s ignorance of what is going on.

I already sent my email to Scott Brown before I even received the following email:

Steven — Last week, Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell got all 41 GOP senators to promise to oppose Wall Street reform. He thought President Obama would back down in the face of a unified show of force. He was wrong. Instead, the President stood in front of Wall Street bankers Thursday, going to bat for consumers and confronting the toughest of crowds with a strong message: Reform is good for Americans, good for the market, and it’s time to get on board. Bipartisan discussions have begun again — but Wall Street lobbyists are still swarming Capitol Hill, trying to trip up negotiations and maintain the gridlock that has defined Washington for far too long. So now, it’s up to us. We need to show Republican senators that the American people are watching closely to see whose side they end up on. Tell Republicans in the Senate to stand up to the special interests and work with the President to pass Wall Street reform. The President laid out a bold plan to hold Wall Street accountable, to protect American taxpayers by ensuring they’ll never again be asked to bail out a big firm “too big to fail,” and to put in place the strongest consumer financial protections ever proposed. But this fight isn’t just about fixing Wall Street. It’s also about fixing Washington. For too long, it’s been a place where special interests have set the rules and petty partisanship has stood in the way of progress. As the President said Thursday, “We can and must put this kind of cynical politics aside.” Thanks to strong leadership from the President and Democrats in Congress, the gridlock is starting to crack, and Republicans are slowly giving signs that they’ll come on board. The Senate has even scheduled a preliminary vote for Monday at 5:15 p.m. But Wall Street lobbyists are flooding in to firm up opposition — trying to carve out loopholes and exemptions for big banks and lenders who have long exploited consumers. The only sure-fire way to make sure that the special interests don’t get their way is to show Senate Republicans that Americans are standing firmly with the President. Tell them to join us to fight for American families who are counting on reform, not the big Wall Street banks. Send a letter today: http://my.barackobama.com/WallStreetReformLetters Thanks, Mitch Mitch Stewart Director Organizing for America P.S. — Want to learn more about what reform means for you? Check out our online Wall Street reform resource center.

Paid for by Organizing for America, a project of the Democratic National Committee — 430 South Capitol Street SE, Washington, D.C. 20003. This communication is not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.

Follow this link to the call to deem May 20, 2010 as the first annual Everybody Draw Mohamed Day!.

I can empathize with the pain that a Muslim might feel at seeing a purported drawing of Mohamed if they feel that their religion forbids such drawing.

Some radical Muslims might think that violent threats and actions are their appropriate reaction to the perceived offense. I have no control over what they think

However, I cannot condone threats and acts of murder over such an offense. This call to a non-violent action, Everybody Draw Mohamed Day!, seems to me like an appropriate response to such threats of violence.

Of course the response to acts of violence needs to be full enforcement of the law.