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Hello, True Texans!
The other day while driving, I saw this bumper sticker:
As I waited at the stoplight behind him, all I could think was, "I wonder what he's doing about it." The Constitution is great, but what is he doing to preserve it? Is the bumper sticker the extent of his activism? It's the same with those who think they're an activist because they vote or because they keep up with current events. It's even the same as those who listen to our speakers yet never actually do anything with the knowledge they've gained.
Each one of our monthly speakers is supposed to leave you with an action item. (If they don't, be sure to ask for one!). It's great to attend our socials and meetings, to "like" our posts, and to use our voting recommendations. But I challenge you, no matter where you're at in your activism, to go a step further.
Run for office (or recruit someone else to!)
Interview candidates for your local races and provide feedback to us
Don't just vote; volunteer for a campaign
Follow through on the action items at our meetings (right away so you don't forget!)
Follow through on the action items in our Friday emails
Attend local meetings for your city council, ISD, or county commission; become a familiar face and they'll start coming to you for opinions and ideas.
Start a home group for TTP in your home or a local library room, coffee shop, etc.
Talk about politics with friends (gasp!) to help educate them
Like, comment on, and share our social media posts to help more people see them
Volunteer at our meetings to help with the many tasks required to pull them off
Always be learning! (Hint: we have great speakers!) Let me take this opportunity to brag on two activists who were so determined to grow in their activism that they drove from Abilene to our Dallas meeting to learn how to use the Texas Legislature Online (TLO) website to hold their State Rep accountable! That's 5-6 hours of driving for a 1-hour meeting -- now THAT is passion and commitment!
Build the army. Politics is a numbers game. Introduce people to TTP.
Consider the source -- don't believe everything you read, and defend the good guys who are often trashed in the news. They'll love you for it!
Encourage good legislators liberally. It gives a great recharge (desperately needed!).
Introduce yourself to your State Rep and State Senator. Build a relationship so you can hold them accountable. No matter how good that person is, everyone needs accountability.
An Apple For Teacher
Speaking of always learning... this week I read a great article and got permission to share it with you. I had never considered just how a teacher's pay breaks down so that we can compare apples to apples on salaries.
The article is specific to Denton County, but the insight on salaries plus the insight given on spending are both good food for thought for anyone. Check it out here.
Let us pray... but to whom??? Lots of things happen in the Texas House that leave me upset. There's no end to the lies and deception, but it's all expected, and we know we have a role as citizens to be involved and be vocal. It's all in a day's work. But this week something happened that set me off. If you're interested in what happened and my response, you can read it here.
Texas Tough - We Are Family! I'm so encouraged with the rush to buy Texas Tough tickets! They WILL sell out! Sponsorship tables are going fast as well. Thank you for helping us get the word out. Keep it up!
My personal theme that I have attached to our gala this year is We Are Family. The multi-generational impact of TTP brings me a lot of joy! The familial support system brings me a lot of encouragement. Please bring your kids if you can. This year we're offering a special student rate. I know it's still a lot to spend on a kid, but it's the cost of the meal per person and a loss overall for TTP. I still insisted we do it in hopes we have some young people able to go. Reaching the youth is my passion!
We had about 20+ folks show up for our first linedance lesson in Burleson this week. So. Much. Fun!!! Join us in March!
DON'T MISS OUT:
Capitol Engagement
Remember, everyTuesdaywe are at the Capitol! If you bring a carpool, we'll pay for your gas! Coming up, we have:
February 18 - Our friends at Texans for Vaccine Choice AND our friends at Abolish Abortion Texas are both having rallies in Austin! TFVC is at the Capitol, and AAT is at UT Austin (and theirs continues on the 19th).
If you have plans to join us in Austin on any Tuesday, email [email protected].
True Texas Project Events... FEBRUARY CALENDAR!
Our onlinecalendar is always kept up to date with upcoming meetings and events. Check out the February calendar graphic below! SO many ways to get involved in your local community or at the capitol! (See it online to enlarge it.)
Thursday, February 26th Collin County Dinner Social
Monthly TTP@Home groups... TTP@Home North Richland Hills meets on Monday 2/17 TTP@Home Lubbock meets on Monday 2/17 TTP@Home Burleson meets on Tuesday 2/18 TTP@Home Ennis now meets on the fourth Saturday - 2/22 TTP@Home Denison meets on Saturday 3/1 TTP@Home Weatherford meets on Monday 3/3 TTP@Home Cross Plains meets on Saturday 3/8 TTP@Home Florence meets on Tuesday - 3/11
Clickhere for more information about our TTP@Home groups. These groups are spreading like wildfire! Let us know if you want to start one in your area by replying to this email.
Monthly TTP podcasts
Our TTP@Home podcast is offered on the 1st Friday of every month specifically for those who cannot get to an in-person meeting, but of course it's great content for all activists. Check out our February interview with Meg Basham on her book Shepherds for Hire... or any other shows you may have missed!
The next one drops March 7 to talk about expanded gambling in Texas.
CONTACTS: Reach out to the directors listed below to get more info on a meeting near you, or with any other question or comment about True Texas Project, activism, or politics. If they don't know the answer, they will help you find it!
True Texas Project works hard to train and engage activists. Can you help? We are 100% donation-based. Click here to donate to our movement. TrueTexasProject.com NOTE: TTP does NOT pay a fee to WinRed for using their donation site. We only pay a processing fee to the credit card company (and you have the option to cover it).
To update your profile with a new email address, satellite location, or other details, or to adjust your recurring donations, please click here. BONUS TIP: remove the "unsubscribe" line at the bottom of your email before you forward it! Otherwise the recipient may unsubscribe YOU!
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