The Coffee Party Board of Directors has a special request: If you are thinking of joining or renewing your membership with Coffee Party USA, please do so by midnight Wednesday, Feb. 29.
On Thursday March 1, we will convene for our annual meeting, where we will plan our actions for tax season, and for the presidential campaign. We want to be able to think big and aim high. But we also need to make responsible decisions based on the amount of support we can expect from our Members. We planned our first in-person meeting as a Board for March 1 so that we could look to our February membership numbers as a measure.
So, if you were part of the Founding Member drive a year ago that launched the Coffee Party into fact-based, really-truly-grassroots stardom, please renew before midnight Feb. 29 by clicking here.
And, if you heard about us through the flash rally we helped to organize at the US Supreme Court, and you were considering becoming a new member, please join before midnight Feb. 29 by clicking here.
After Feb. 29, you can still join of course, and you can still renew your membership, but we'll no longer be offering the documentary film I co-directed with Annabel Park, 9500 Liberty (see below). This spring, once every one has received their DVD's, we're planning a national house-party screening of the film known as the Coffee Party prequel, with a virtual town-hall discussion connected via live stream.
9500 Liberty — Award-winning documentary DVD known as the Coffee Party prequel
9500 Liberty documents the first time in US history that an Arizona-style immigration law was actually implemented, and, the surprising, trans-partisan coalition that rose up to repeal it. Caught in the middle of a ferocious and racially-charged culture war were two Asian American film directors, Annabel Park and Eric Byler taking citizen journalism to a new level with the world's first "interactive documentary" — over 100 video reports from all sides of the issue posted to YouTube.
It was in the process of making this film that Annabel and Eric developed the participation practices that underlie the Coffee Party: reaching across the political divide, showing respect for diverse cultures and diverse perspectives, and putting the facts first before making policy decisions. 9500 Liberty is a testament to the genius and the resiliency of the democratic process, and an example of how everyday Americans can restore civility, sound policy, and social harmony when a community has been polluted by extreme language, extreme polarization, and extreme tactics. The combination of an informed citizenry and a creative use of social media tools provides a recipe for victory for Americans who share our ideals, and a source of inspiration for those who need to see these ideals and these practices actually work before they can believe.
Below are some of the bonus features from the DVD:
CLICK HERE to see Annabel Park and Eric Byler together on a panel discussion about Arizona's SB 1070, filmed on the night before SB 1070 was due to be implemented (but was blocked by a federal judge).
Below is a scene from 9500 Liberty that anticipates the Coffee Party notion of "information activism."
Two Membership Drives Come to Close at Midnight, February 29
And, if you heard about us through the flash rally we helped to organize at the US Supreme Court, and you were considering becoming a new member, please join before midnight Feb. 29 by clicking here.
