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Excerpts

Contents

PART I:

What is "America" ? Not a Country, a State of Mind

Introduction 3

Freedom Is Intended as a Challenge 13

Fake Patriotism 23

Fake Democracy 33

PART II :

Core Values

Principle One: We Are Required to Speak Freely 91

Principle Two: We Have a Duty to Rebel Continually Against Injustice and Oppression 105

Principle Three: Ordinary People Are Supposed to Run Things 125

Principle Four: Americans Cherish the Rule of Law 141

Principle Five: America Establishes No God 157

Principle Six: Americans Deliberate with Their Neighbors; We Disagree Without Violence 173

Principle Seven: Liberty is Universal: America Cannot Maintain an Oppressive Empire 189

A New American Revolution 209

PART III :

America: The User's Guide

I. Driving Change 215

"Democracy Commandos" [Curtis Ellis] 215

Additional Resources 218

II. Speech 219

How to Petition 219

Additional Resources 220

How to Play Hardball Once You Have Petitioned 220

Become the Media Yourself 221

How to Write a Press Release [Lisa Witter] 222

Create the Debate Yourself 226

Help Frame the News Coverage 228

How to Leak to an Investigative Reporter 229

How to Pitch a Feature Piece 231

Radio 232

TV 233

Additional Resources 235

Produce New Media 235

How to Create a Blog [Elizabeth Curtis] 236

Additional Resources 240

How to Create a Web Video [Will Coghlan] 241

Additional Resources 243

III. Protest 245

How to Drive a Boycott 245

Additional Resources 246

How to Take to the Streets [Marjorie Cohn] 247

Staging a Protest 251

Additional Resources 252

How to be Safe as You Protest 252

Arrest 253

The Permit System [Heidi Boghosian] 256

How to Speak in Any Public Context 260

IV. Deliberate, Community-Build,and Organize 265

How to Start a Political Movement 265

Direct-Action Activism [Trevor "Oyate"] 265

Starting Your Own Political Movement [Raymond D. Powell] 267

Organize a Town Hall Meeting 271

How to Run a Meeting [Wende Jager-Hyman] 273

Deliberate with Your Neighbors [Mary Jacksteit] 277

Additional Resources 281

Become the Leaders of America 283

How to Start a Nonprofit Organization 283

Additional Resources 285

How to Fund-raise [Stephanie Berger] 286

Additional Resources 291

V. Rule of Law: Create or Change Laws Yourself 293

Initiatives and Referenda 293

Additional Resources 295

Make Every Vote Count [Mark Crispin Miller] 296

Additional Resources 299

Organize a National Hearing [Annette Warren Dickerson] 300

Expose Government Secrecy: A Guide to Getting Government Files [Lauren Melodia] 303

Additional Resources 312

VI . Dismantle an Oppressive Empire: Remake U.S. Foreign Policy 313

How to Promote Democracy Overseas through Investment [Diane Keefe] 313

Additional Resources 315

VI . Understand How Your System Works 317

Overview [Curtis Ellis] 317

What is the Electoral College? [Wende Jager-Hyman] 321

User's Guide to the Constitution and Bill of Rights

[Steven C. Bennett] 326

Additional Resources 343

VI . Wish List for the Fu ture 344

Direct Democracy 344

Voting [Curtis Ellis] 344

A Twelve-Step Program to Save U.S. Democracy [Mark Crispin Miller] 345

Additional Wish List Items 347

Notes 351

Bibliography 371

Acknowledgments 375

About the Author 377