Fighting Against Injustice is a Tough Job, But Someone's Gotta Do It!!

[Rich Bergeron]

By: Rich Bergeron

WAKE UP!

Look around you and see the signs everywhere...and they will tell you that we are no longer as free as we once were here in these United States. Capitalism is crumbling all around us, and Obama can't do anything to stop the bleeding. It is going to take a vigilant and informed public to ensure we do not lose this country to the powers that be who wish to destroy it in order to line their own pockets.

Civil liberties are being eroded more and more in this climate, particularly because so many people can't afford to hire an attorney to fight big corporations who don't like being criticized. It works both ways. Defendants sued for no reason but the fact that they have exercised their First Amendment or other basic and Constitutional rights and plaintiffs who bring actions based on deprivation of Constitutional rights often can't find public service operations or other pro bono counsel to assist them. The problem is these cases can be very complicated. Without a lawyer there is a lot of legwork involved in teaching yourself and keeping up with all the nuances of the process.

The process is the hardest part to get used to in my opinion. I recently had to help a friend with an appeal, and this is the mother of all difficult tasks when it comes to operating "pro-se." Appeals mean a lot of research, a lot of conforming to formalities, and a ton of aggravation. The format is often crucial to whether or not your freelance legal document will be accepted by the court. It can come down to paragraphs not being numbered correctly in some cases, so you really have to research the local and federal rules of procedure.

I created this site in the spirit of inspiring a social revolution of sorts. Think about how much time you spend on-line each day tinkering on different sites, playing your "Mafia Wars" or Poker games on all the different social sites out there. Think about how many useless forwarded emails you get every day. Every now and then you might come across a really touching, informative, or important Web-site or story that should be getting a lot more press. So, what do you do? Most compassionate people read these kinds of stories and say, "Awww, that really sucks for that person. I wish there was something I could do." The problem is not enough people realize THERE IS SOMETHING YOU CAN DO!!

You can email all your friends, post a link or embed a video on the subject on all your social profiles. You can think of your own cause that could use a similar spotlight and put it out there for all to see. You can do so much more than you think if you just believe in the simple concepts of "six degrees of separation" and "you can do anything if you put your mind to it." The fact is, the chance of exponentially increasing awareness on a specific topic sometimes comes down to one popular person getting a hold of that knowledge and passing it on to the general public. Whether this happens as a "viral" Online explosion illustrating the power of free enterprise and independent grassroots marketing, or if it somehow gets the needed exposure through traditional media channels because mass market news channels pick it up, the first step is to put it out there and keep plugging it. The more you think about your issues and analyze your problem, using the Web at all times to keep people aware of what you're doing, the more you will realize that you will not only be helping yourself by getting out of your conundrum, but all who are "following" you will also be inspired.

The Internet is growing more and more powerful as newspapers die and consumers realize there is more value in free exchange of thought. Unfiltered media you can access with the click of a mouse allows all computer-owning consumers a choice of where to get their news from. They can get it from an official source or take the word of a complete stranger, like me.

Speaking out on-line is only effective as long as you keep your comments opinionated and/or based on definitive facts, so be careful when you protest, and don't think you can't be sued if you do only report the facts. You have to be ready no matter what.

I am going to be preparing an e-book throughout this year that I will sell as an affordable information product when it's complete. In this manual, I will describe how anyone with enough time and energy can truly change the world and make major differences with a few strokes of a keyboard and clicks of a mouse. If the pen was mightier than the sword in Medieval times, in the information age the Internet is mightier than the Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile.

For now, while you wait for my protest bible, I will continue to post my observations here about my own ongoing litigation, First Amendment issues, and other related news. I will also be designing a radio program to complement this site. Stay tuned and get ready to learn how to take control of all aspects of your protest campaign. From getting the info out there to defending it in court if you have to, I'll show you the way.

[Lika]

Thanks for posting! I'd like to see if I could get an RSS feed from here to my Youth Voice Initiative site and page, if possible... thanks again.