<$BlogRSDUrl$> The Cyberactivist

Behind the scenes of the fight for the protection of animals and workers and the preservation of the environment - my experiences as a Tyson slaughterhouse hanger/killer turned activist. Exposing the evils of factory farming, by Virgil Butler. If you have arrived here looking for the Tyson stories, view the early archives. Some of them are now featured on the sidebar for easy searching.

Tuesday, September 14, 2004

Busy and Making a Difference 

Yeah, I know it has been a little while since I posted here. Sorry about that. I have been so busy lately. Believe it or not, I still haven't caught up on all the emails that came in while I was out of town. It is hard enough to have enough time to post the articles in the group and keep up with answering each day's mail, much less go through backed up emails. But I am getting there. I am almost caught up.

I have also been doing a lot of things outside. I have been taking in more of the pulpwood from the tops of the trees that we had sawed up into lumber. That sure is a whole lot of work for such a small amount of money! I don't know how many of you have ever done this, but it is like one of those "last resort" type options around here to earn money. You do it when there just isn't anything else. It's a step above picking cans off the side of the road (which I have done, too). See, it takes me a couple of days to cut everything and carry each log down the hill and get them piled up. Then there is another half day to load the trailer and take it in to the mill. Want to guess what all that pays me for a load? Around $30. Like I said, not much. But, something is better than nothing, huh?

I also worked on another outside project. Remember the two black male dogs on the photo page that we have been trying to find a home for? Well, I built them a much bigger, nicer pen. We have also gotten it arranged for them both to be able to have some time outside the pen every day and run. They love that! They are really neat dogs. It is starting to really look like we won't find them a home any time soon, if ever. And, we couldn't keep them in that temporary pen for their whole lives. So, I built them a new one. They like it.

I am really looking forward to the Walk in Nashville next month. It really sounds like it will be a lot of fun. That will be a great time to work with other like-minded people who are willing to "walk the walk" in addition to "talking the talk." (Yes, I couldn't resist the little pun there - walking the Walk! LOL!) ;)

So many people these days believe that the problems of the world are too big and that there isn't much any one person can do to change things. And, of course, I have said here on this site quite a few times that one person CAN make a difference. I mean, look what one poor hillbilly living in a travel trailer out in the woods has done! People CAN make a difference, especially nowadays with the Internet. It has made the average citizen more powerful than ever before. Each and every one of us has the ability to do the same, speaking out about whatever injustice they find and demanding change.

Take this guy, for example. He was featured on Military.com for starting up a website a little over a month ago to help veterans get information and most recently, to help them get needed surgeries.

See, the Portland Veterans Affairs Medical Center postponed about 100 surgeries to save money. According to this story, the delays would have affected people needing such care as hernia operations or joint replacements.

Someone from the VA gave him a copy of a letter that told of it, and he thought it was wrong, so he posted a copy of the letter on his website and wrote about it on veterans boards and forums, bringing attention to the problem.

Well, after that, Military.com picked it up and had him write a story, which attracted MORE attention, even from Congress.

Guess what happened?

Yep, they reversed their decision, the vets will get their surgeries, and their budget is being looked over by the National VA.
Guess what he said about that success and the publicity this story received.

"It's the thing of one man can make a difference. I was just out to lend a helping hand. It's just my way of giving back. It's just me and my computer."

Sound familiar?

Good going, Larry!
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