JOE MURPHY

Name: JOE MURPHY Location: phoenix, AZ I'M BACK IN THE GAME AFTER TAKING A BREAK TO RAISE A FAMILY. CICERO SD "HUMAN DIGNITY & FREEDOM ARE OUR BIRTHRIGHT. LET US THEN DEFEND THEM OR DIE WITH DIGNITY"

A little about me

I grew up in northern Michigan and remember asking my father what "Irish need not apply" signs in business windows meant. I remember being removed from public playgrounds because we were "Catholics". I remember places where my non-white friends couldn't order food. I remember the camps where migrant workers lived.
I dropped out of college to work with churches and non-profits in anti-poverty programs. I took a regular job so that my wife could stay home to raise our children. I am a father with two grown children and two grandchildren, a landscaper trying to find a way to the leave the kind of world with dominated by the progressive ideals of equality, freedom, fairness, opportunity, general prosperity, and so on for my children and grandchildren.
My local Democracy For America club elected me as Chair for this year. We are working to set up a modern (social media) phone tree that can span the center-left groups in our county while also setting up a training process to show their members how to use social media effectively. I am also active as an elected precinct and state party committeemember.

I would describe myself as a

offline activitst

Why I deserve a Netroots Nation Scholarship

I am deserving of a scholarship because I have both a lot to share with others and because what we are doing in Phoenix could help others who are attending.
I do not have the means to pay myself. I have helped others in the past to attend this conference, and other progressive conferences when I had the means, but not the time, but others had the time but not the means. The recession/depression in Arizona has seriously undermined my income.
Now that I have the time, I want to attend to meet others who either I can help or whom can help us in setting up a cross group communications system.
The new system will allow us to work more effectively to meet the chalenges presented by the monied interest which are trying to destroy our democracy.
I have long been active in the democratic process. I have gathered signatures for others who have run for Precinct Committeeperson, City Council, Constable and Justice of the Peace, Legislative Districts, State political positions from Corporation Committee to Governor, Attorncy General, etc.
I've served on the Democracy For America Board in various positions, helped with training sessions for those seeking to run for election, and now serve as the Chair.
I've recruited new members for the DFA, my Legislative District and for gathering petition signatures.

What first inspired me to get involved

One of my earliest memories was of my father running for election as a probate and juvenile judge in the small county where I was born. Later, during the election of John F Kennedy, I found out that not only could you be hated for being Irish and Catholic, but also beaten up.
Getting involved always seemed to me to be the only answer to the prejudice I witnessed growing up.
Wether it was getting kicked out of public playgrounds or being told not to apply for work at certain businesses because I was Catholic, or having friends not served because of the color of their skin I always wanted to find a way to fight back.
I grew up during the time when the environmental movement was awakening. I remember reading about river burning bridges in Ohio, and witnessed bird eggs too thin that the eggs broke when they were laid.
I knew even then that the only way to change it was to get involved.
I got involved in politics because I felt I could do something to change our bent political system. Progress has been made, but we still have a long way to go toward bringing about the world we want for our children and grandchildren.

How I've gotten others involved

Wherever I've lived I've gotten people to register to vote, volunteer for candidates and campaigns, write letters and emails on issues. I've known people who have reregistered to vote and even gotten them involved in election campaigns after they had quit because they had discouraged.
People I've met have become involved in DFA and started coming to meetings after I've talked with them, and the same thing has happened in my Legislative District

The blog post I am most proud of

n/a

Why I think participation in the blogosphere is important

The blogosphere to me is an important tool for education, a method for getting out the truth, and, a means to report on important subjects.

More about my involvement with DFA and local work

I am currently the Chair of Democracy For America-Maricopa County in Arizona. I've been on the Board for five years serving in various capacities.
I have tabled, worked on fundraisers, announce our activties to my State Legislative District meetings and recruited new members.
I'm currently facilitating the meetings to set up our "Mother of all Phone Trees" combining social media and traditional phone tree methods. We are also working on getting a calendar set up which all groups can have access. I will be involved in our DFA Action Summit in July and a DFA Campaign Training in October.

More about my volunteer work

I've cut back since becoming DFA-MC Chair with other volunteering. I still walk my precinct, attend and volunteer for the activities of my Legislative District. I now attend the Maricopa County District monthly meeting am in regular contact with leadership of the PDA, Arizona Advocay Network, Arizona redistricting advocates and the activists of several other center-left organizations.
For our modern phone tree to work we need to bring together the various organizations which form the current patchwork quilt of affinity organiations which comprise the modern left. This is where the majority of my volunteer time must be spent while the format our modern phone tree is brought together by our group.

My Twitter manifesto on online activism

I don't know how you can be effective online unless you are also active offline. How would you know what is going on in the off-line world?

My suggested bumper sticker slogan

USA - Progressive know how to love it

My idea for a cool new online action

It's not so wild, but, get people to make a committment, then give them a 'tell' so that they know that what you've sent them is what they've committed to do.