Fellow Jackson Heights Progressives,

Drinking Liberally started in Manhattan in May 2003 as a support group for liberals and spread like wildfire across the country. Chapters meet every week at a local bar to chat and make new friends.

But what if we did more than drink and chat? What if we discussed concrete changes that we can bring about in our communities - and beyond?  

That's the idea behind Changing Liberally. With your help, we hope to turn this idea into reality. 

We've ordered light buffet for $7.50 each. Drinks (beer and wine) are a la carte.

When drinks arrive we'll introduce ourselves and talk briefly about one issue we're working on and/or care strongly about. After that, we'll talk about what we can do together. 

There are many ways we can bring about change. We can start listservs or blogs. We can help existing groups or start new ones. We can meet with elected or appointed officials or candidates. We can collect petitions or make calls. If we want to reach out to our friends and neighbors, we can hold community events at the Jewish Community Center.

We'll start by inviting local leaders and activists we already know. If we think the group has promise, we'll reach out to other local activists.

We hope you'll join us for our first meeting. Please RSVP by posting a comment below. (If you've never been to Democrats.com you'll need to create a login.)

Bob Fertik