Lawrence Downing is one of the thirteen former board members mentioned
as being concerned about the upcoming elections.

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Defending the Sierra Club and its Grassroots Democracy
Date: Fri, 06 Feb 2004 04:10:06 -0800
From: "Lawrence Downing" <[log in to unmask]>
Reply-To: [log in to unmask]
To: [log in to unmask]



Dear Debbie,

    We need to catch up. A lot has happened since our last e-mail and
because I can't capture it all here, I ask that you -- and your friends
-- log on to http://www.groundswellsierra.org
<http://www.GroundswellSierra.org> for more information about our
efforts to stop outside groups from trying to commandeer the Sierra
Club's agenda, assets and priorities.

These "takeover" efforts have made national news:

    CNN reported that the Club has "a particularly
    democratic system for voting and that could backfire
    for this organization," noting that the Sierra Club is
    facing a hostile takeover by anti-immigration groups.

    A Santa Fe New Mexican editorial worried: "Word
    would get around Capital Hill that this is no longer
    the Sierra Club of John Muir and its lobbyists may
    be ignored with little risk to one's political future... it
    could wash the Sierra Club down the drain."

    And from the Philadelphia Inquirer, "What's happening in
    the Sierra Club illustrates that members of an organization
    take for granted that the most venerable of groups
    cannot be diverted from a worthy mission. Clearly, they
    can. This is no time to lose the Sierra Club's voice. It's a
    time for people who care about the environment to
    pay more than dues. They need to pay attention."

    The Los Angeles Times editorialized, after their initial
    article breaking this story, cautioning Sierra Club
    members "to save their venerable organization" and to
    consider "a clear lesson in this turmoil for millions of
    Americans who consider themselves members of
    advocacy organizations. For these groups to play a
    constructive role in a democracy, members must pay
    attention to them. Discuss the issues. And vote."

Groundswell continues to gain ground and powerful allies

    Former Sierra Club Executive Directors Mike McCloskey
    and Michael Fischer have added their names to the ever
    expanding list of our supporters, which now number
    in the hundreds.

    Scores of Chapter activists have volunteered as part of the
    growing number of Groundswell Sierra Chapter spokespeople.

    Thirteen former Club Presidents and dozens of former and
    current Directors, Trustees, and Club leaders have offered
    their help and support.

    Sierra Student Coalition leaders have endorsed our efforts.
    Nathan Wyeth, SSC leader, observed, "Since only one of
    every ten Sierra Club members has voted in recent elections,
    it is extremely easy to finesse the Club's democracy into
    producing results that do not actually reflect the views
    of the majority of Sierra Club members."

Outside Groups Are Being Unmasked

    Groups that are urging their members to weigh-in on the Sierra Club
elections include a number of anti-immigration and white supremacist
organizations including: the Federation for American Immigration Reform,
White Politics Inc., the Center for American Unity, National Alliance,
National Immigration Alert which comes from NumbersUSA, Social Contract
Press, White Politics Inc.,and an ongoing string of articles on the
VDARE.com and Overthrow.com websites encourage their members to
interfere in the Sierra Club's democratic elections.

    The effort to use outsiders to takeover the Club's Board and impose
their agenda on the membership is best summarized by Sea Shepherd
Society Executive Director and self-styled "takeover" leader of the
Sierra Club, Paul Watson's own description of America's democracy in a
New Internationalist interview:

    "Democracy may or may not be a good idea.
    It really has never been tried. The real problem is
    that people can be controlled. The citizen is a crop
    to be cultivated and harvested for the money required
    to support the bureaucracy. All the citizen sheep
    require is a shepherd (leader) to provide bread
    and circuses..."

In Summary

    Groundswell Sierra is grateful to all those Club members who have no
doubt that democracy is a good idea and who don't want a "Shepherd"
telling them what their environmental issues must be.

    Thank you for taking time from your busy lives to participate in and
defend the Sierra Club's democracy. By working together, we can preserve
a Sierra Club that is directed and controlled by its members and protect
it and its resources from a take over by outsiders. Please see our
website at www.GroundswellSierra.org for more information and to learn
how you can help.

Sincerely,
Lawrence Downing
Groundswell Sierra

(If you're not interested in hearing from me about this external
takeover of the Sierra Club, please drop me a line and I'll make sure I
don't send you any further messages.)

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