New 'Truth' BillBoard Campaign - 'Bravo' GrassRoots Dems, South Dakota

GrassRoots Dems, South Dakota

• The big news; our billboards are up in Sioux Falls. The feedback and response has been AMAZING! We mainly received responses of sincere thanks, we heard some reserved concerns and we even got couple of pieces of hate mail – we appreciate all of it!
• http://tinyurl.com/c2ju9
  
• Democrats make America stronger.
  We firmly believe this. We are excited to take the message, “Democrats make America stronger”, to the street. We also believe discussion makes America stronger, that is why we did not shy away from reminding America of our values – taking care of the poor and managing the deficit. Based on the outpouring of financial support, we know you agree with us – Democrats do make America stronger.
• http://tinyurl.com/coqjn
• The Billboards are up and the feedback has been tremendous. The Argus Leader picked up the story on Tuesday and interviewed our own Lisa Engels.
  “The whole thing behind it is to counteract the Christian right and their so-called monopoly on religion,” "They have been able to get out there and convince people that the flag wraps better around them than it does us, and that is not true.”
  The sign above is located at 7th and Minnesota. The second sign is located at 3000 W Russell.
  
  
• "We have received some hate mail, but most of the feedback has been very positive."
  Executive Director Roger Berggren noted, "I am not sure the 'Jesus cares for the poor' sign speaks to everybody, but it does speak to those Christian progressives that have spent the last two years walking though church seeing James Dobson fliers and hearing their Priests and Ministers tell them they cannot be a good Christian and a good Democrat at the same time."
  Amy Crusinberry a student at Sioux Falls University said she loves the sign. After attending an english class where a student calmly got up and told the class "all Democrats are going to hell," she changed her mind about being silent on faith issues. "For me, a huge part of being a Democrat is changing people's narrow-minded views and I think it's possible. It's just going to take some people who are not afraid."
  Others have expressed concerns that by posting this sign we are promoting a religious piety that imposes our beliefs on others. This is certainly not our intent. Our goal is to reach out to Christians and ask, who really cares for the poor? Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security and countless other programs that keep people out of destitute poverty are all programs started by and protected by Democrats. Republicans have been trying to destroy these programs for years by promoting faith without reason. Our June Book Club will be meeting to discuss the book God's Politics, where the author Jim Wallis, a liberal Democrat, addresses these issues of faith and why we can no longer remain silent.
  
• Jim Wallis in an exchange with Jerry Falwell on Hannity & colmes on Feb 11
  
• Wallis: The good news is the monologue of the religious right is over, and a dialogue has finally begun.
• Falwell: I think . . .
• Wallis: Jerry--you know--Jerry--I didn't interrupt you, Jerry. Millions and millions of Christians, including evangelicals like me, want the nation to know that you don't speak for us. That your Jesus is pro-rich, pro-war, and only pro-American, and your monologue is over.
  
• We also have a second sign. It has not generated the calls the first one has, but it ties into the message of the first. As our deficit grows the Republicans can easily make an argument that social programs need to be cut. Meanwhile the government subsidize oil companies and funds two wars in the middle east.
  
• Grassroot Democrats.P.O. Box 87929 101 S. Main Ave, Suite 501 Sioux Falls, SD 57109-7929