kat,

Excellent question. I struggle with this daily. I've written and even visited, in person, my congresspeople - but I'm not nearly a big enough donor that they will listen to me. I think the only solution is to raise and/or educate good kids. The current generation of greedy, unaltruistic, reactionary, xenophobic shitheads in power is beyond convincing. There's an entire generation that has been raised on a diet of Limbaugh, Hannity, Savage, Falwell, Robertson, Will, Safire, Coulter, O'Reilly, Scarborough, ....... that is brainwashed beyond reason. I just get depressed (and pissed-off) when I talk to the local "grown-ups".

Teach your (our) children well...

(And , no, you neocon fans, I'm not talking about brainwashing kids to the left. Let them listen to the people listed above, but for crissakes, give them Pacifica, and Ivens, and Teepen, and Dionne, and - heaven forbid - NPR as well. Or are you afraid of opposing ideas? If so, you'd better make a book bonfire)

Aaaarrrggghhh! I think my head is going to explode.