[Dialogue] Our Lake Hills Liberals Demonstration Project

[Dave Thomas]

In attempting to create a 'liberal culture' in our Lake Hills neighborhood
of Bellevue, WA, I have viewed it as a human development demonstration
project, which will hopefully succeed and be replicated.  Our major miracles
have been to quickly recruit 99 members, with 35 households displaying
liberal yard signs in what has be traditionally a conservative neighborhood.
We are still recruiting additional members, but our emphasis has shifted to
knitting our members together through small informal gatherings.  We
recently held a potluck/workshop to find our consensus concerning our
values, name and political proposals.  We also discussed our agreements and
differences with various types of conservatives and libertarians and how to
dialogue with them to increase their understanding of our broader community,
responsibility toward other community members and compassionate government
and private action toward our less fortunate members.  We hope our
gatherings will lead to many action projects.  I welcome your questions and
comments.  Dave Thomas

Lake Hills Liberals Progress Report
Our Lake Hills neighborhood has 12 precincts with 4400 voters.  At the
middle of October, our Liberals group had 7 members.  Through doorbelling
likely liberals (households with Democratic yard signs in November 2004 or
who requested Democratic primary ballots in 2000), we now have 99 members
(an average of 8 members per precinct).  About half of our member's
households, 35 now display yard signs proclaiming 'Proud Liberal, Time for a
Change' and have 'Proud Liberal' bumper stickers on their cars.  I estimate
that we have only found about half of the likely liberals at home; so as we
continue doorbelling, our membership may double.  
 
At their door, we introduce ourselves as a neighbor, inform them that we are
forming a liberals group and use four sentences to express what we mean by
liberal: "We believe that all Americans should have the same freedoms and
opportunities.  We believe that each American should have the responsibility
to protect the freedoms and opportunities of all the others.  We believe
that our government should be competent and compassionate (helping those of
us who have fewer freedoms and opportunities).  We believe that
internationally, our United States should be a responsible member of our
community of world nations."  Over half of the people who hear this, join
us, generally with great eagerness.  We seem to be providing a service, not
performed by other organizations.  The people who don't join us often
express support for our values, but are too busy, don't join groups, don't
want to get involved in politics, etc.
 
Our present emphasis is to make our neighborhood one where there are no
lonely liberals, where liberals can proudly express our values, where others
find it attractive to become liberals, where liberals work together to
realize our values.  Thus our recruitment and yard signs.  
 
Our next emphasis is to provide many opportunities for our liberals to meet
in small groups, including 3-4 potlucks a year; meetings with our elected
officials and candidates; watching news events such as debates, conventions,
election returns, political movies, etc.; and having people invite others to
their home to discuss political issues and/or organize political actions.
We will not have regular meetings, but will communicate mostly through
email.
 
We encourage our members to each write a letter to an editor each month
concerning the topic of their choice, and offer assistance to those who want
it.  Next summer, we will canvas Lake Hills to identify all of the liberal
voters and encourage them to vote in the fall elections.  We will cooperate
with other groups who share our political goals.
 
We regard our group as a demonstration project, which if successful can be
replicated in other neighborhoods.  We have already had inquiries about
replication from 2 organizations and anticipate more.  Observers from other
neighborhoods are asking to join us and requesting our yard signs and bumper
stickers.  Dave Thomas