Hi there TuneInTurnOnHelpOut fans,
This is just something that has to be shared. TuneInTurnOnHelpOut.org is NOT just an activist oriented site, but a database for all makes and models of human beings who just want to be part of “the good” that is happening all around our beautiful world today. Some are volunteers. Some are missionaries. Some are feeding the hungry. Some are housing the homeless. And some are out there in the streets fighting for our Constitutional Rights while we go about our day to day business. The ANSWER Coalition is one such organization. I have marched more than once with them in some city across this great country of ours. And I recently met Brian Becker (the gentleman who wrote the below article) at the United Nations last year while attending the General Assembly Meeting where we met with Iran President Mahmoud Ahmadinjad among other things. Please take a moment to read the news piece below regarding the blatant disregard for our freedom of speech and assembly laws that unfortunately seems to happen to those bold enough to speak up more and more these days — regardless of “who” is president. Feel free to reach out to these bold and beautiful people at ANSWER. They are some of the most courageous Americans I know. If you can help in any way, lend a hand. Sign up for their mailing list, and maybe i will see you at a march or demonstration one of these days. Where there is a need, WE WILL BE THERE. Let’s do this thing.
Sincerely,
Ed Hale

Dear Ed,

Free Speech rights in Washington D.C. are under attack and we need you to take action.

The outcome of this struggle will have an impact on all progressive groups.

In the last weeks, the ANSWER Coalition has been hit with nearly $7,000 in fines for posters announcing the March 21 National March on the Pentagon that have been put up in Washington D.C. Just today, we received another $1,850 in fines for 12 posters.

The government is trying to effectively eliminate ANSWER’s and any group’s ability to engage in postering for Free Speech protected activities or dissemination of posters and flyers. The message is this: If you are an anti-war group or a progressive grassroots organization and you hand out or put up a poster, as you may have always done in the past, you can now expect heavy fines and long court battles that are designed to divert money and resources — or shut you down completely.

The posters for which we were fined are lawfully posted. The District is also issuing fines against ANSWER regardless of who put up the poster — they are just sanctioning us for being organizers and supporters of the political anti-war demonstration being publicized. Unlike many of the politicians, concert promoters and other corporate entities that put up posters in DC, the ANSWER Coalition even sends out teams of volunteers to remove posters following the conclusion of a demonstration or event.

Many individuals come in and take posters and leaflets from the office or download them from the website. As we have done for the past eight years we provide copies of the DC regulations to people that indicate how to poster in conformity with lawful regulations.

A big shift happened prior to the September 15, 2007 Bring the Troops Home Now mass demonstration that was led by veterans from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. We were targeted in an unprecedented campaign and hit with $55,000 in fines. (more…)

Recently I volunteered at a local food bank called The Sharing Table located in my affluent Upper East Side neighborhood. Living in this region of Manhattan is almost like residing in a “Pre-Depression era” time capsule. Mothers continue to buy their infants designer strollers; impossibly skinny women carry diamond purses; and rock stars buy cavernous townhouses next door to you. Living in this kind of environment, it is frighteningly easy to forget that America is in the midst of a monumental economic catastrophe. Some of us read The New York Times or watch CNBC and those millions of unemployed can seem like foreign entities. Those numbers don’t have real faces. We cannot begin to fathom the impact of this economic calamity without appreciating its implications on actual human beings – who we don’t see much of on the Upper East Side of Manhattan.

I was reminded of this impact today though at Christ Church on Park Avenue and 60th street. I was invited to participate in this volunteer activity by a friend and mentor of mine who himself is a rockstar who I happened to have made friends with for no other reason probably than the fortunate opportunity I am afforded by living in this particular neighborhood. He quietly and anonymously volunteers here regularly. He told me that he does it to keep himself real and more grounded, as his industry has “an uncanny way of making you feel very unreal and ungrounded kid” as he put it. I notice that as busy as he is, he still finds the time to sneak in a few hours to volunteer around the city or around the world. I can imagine that it is a very different experiene for him than being on stage playing in front of thousands of people, or being locked in recording studios for months at a time.

As we shuffled into the basement one late Sunday afternoon I was introduced to the man who is in charge of the place. His name is Walter Gray Lamb. A well-known graphic designer by trade, he has been quietly running this food bank for homeless or hungry people in New York for over twenty years. I was very impressed and inspired by him and his dedication to helping people. It made me wonder if I had it within myself to do what he does. The moment the church doors opened people started nervously filing into the basement. A lot of these men and women seemed lost. They were physically present, but you could sense that they were spiritually and mentally elsewhere. You could tell that they were truly grateful to be receiving this food (one less costly strain on their budgets).

When we had finished serving these hungry people, a man approached me. He was in his mid-twenties, and many of his upper teeth seemed to be absent. But nevertheless, he greeted me with a warm grin, and we began talking. He asked me why I was here, and I told him that I just thought it was the right place to be. He expressed his longing to escape from New York. He told me that he was planning to join the National Guard because they provided some form of financial stability. He told me that he was currently writing a paper on the history of chemical weapons since the end of World War II. I was profoundly amazed by his breadth of knowledge concerning this rather esoteric subject. We discovered a mutual appreciation for the work of Howard Zinn and Noam Chomsky. Eventually, it was time for us all to leave and I wished the man good luck.
Talking with this man reminded me of something that had rarely occurred to me before. Our conversation made me realize just how thin the line is between poverty and financial security in America. I mean, the gentleman I had met was a seemingly learned and capable individual who could probably do anything he wanted. However, he is currently dependent on the generosity of Christ Church for food.

It occurred to me that this economic crisis could serve as an awakening for the world and the United States. Perhaps it could remind us that we are all involved in this collective experience of human life, and while we are living on this earth it is our obligation to help others in need. Without that kind of charity and compassion we would have nothing.

So the next time you find yourself flipping through the pages of the Wall Street Journal, or watching some buffoon like Jim Kramer screaming in panic on the television, try heading down to your local food bank. There is a high probability that you will be overcome with an incredibly profound sensation that only comes from helping and connecting with others. You could also feel assured that as long as people are willing to help out, America and the rest of the world will be okay.

Tyler Bejoian
15 years old, New York City

Hello Everyone!
Meet one of my favorite earthlings, Blake Mycoskie, founder of Toms Shoes, a very cool idea that simply put provides jobs in impoverished parts of the world to experienced craftsmen, that in turn pump out durable, long lasting, and very cool looking and comfortable shoes. And best of all, every time one of us buys a pair of these ultra-hip shoes, his company gives another pair away for free to a child in need in a developing country. Toms Shoes is of course old news to many of us. But that doesn’t make the business any less appealing or admirable. Read more about him and his company below and if you don’t already own a pair, check out their line on his website and pick a few up. What a great idea! This is 21st century capitalism at its finest. Sometimes referred to as “compassionate capitalism” or “creative capitalism” — and exemplified by Bono and his brilliant PRODUCT RED Campaign, it is an idea whose time has arrived. in our lifetimes. And we are all welcomed to join in and play a part in whatever capacity we feel we can best serve or that makes us the happiest. Congratulations and kudos to Blake!
Ed Hale

About Blake

My name is Blake, and I am the Chief Shoe Giver here at TOMS. This is my story, our story, and the daily journey each of you are now participating in.So far we have given over 130,000 pairs of shoes to children in need around the world.

If you have ever seen the movie The Family Man with Nicholas Cage, you know the song that I am about to reference. It is by the Talking Heads and is one of those songs that you find yourself, for absolutely no reason at all, humming in the shower.

Due to the wondrous powers of the internet, I was able to hunt down the exact words to the chorus:

And you may find yourself living in a shotgun shack
And you may find yourself in another part of the world
And you may find yourself behind the wheel of a large automobile
And you may find yourself in a beautiful house, with a beautiful Wife
And you may ask yourself-well…how did I get here?

I mention all of this because I am currently looking at a picture of myself on page 130 of People Magazine. PEOPLE MAGAZINE! The magazine has Owen Wilson on the cover and is due out any day now.

I cannot tell you guys how grateful I am for this experience. This past year-and-a-half has been surreal. It felt like yesterday that I was working out of my apartment in Venice with three interns that I found on Craigslist. TOMS now has 16 full time employees, a large office building, a professional phone system, and if all goes well, a working fax machine in the coming days. I feel so blessed.

I have spent so much time on the road these past few months that I often feel like Nicholas Cage in that movie. Sometimes it feels too good to be true.

So, yes, before I start blubbering, I would just like to thank everyone at People for putting me in their magazine, and all of you for reading this blog. I know that I have said this before, but I am going to start updating this journal every week or so. (double pinkie swear).

Carpe Diem,
Blake