Bronwyn Beistle

My Interests:

poetry, films, sustainable gardening and architecture, Motown, travel, hiking

Political Skills:

canvassing, writing, petitioning,organizing rallies, starting political groups,events planning, "framing," voter registration, poll watching

Favorite Quote:

Let the beauty we love be what we do. There are a hundred ways to kneel and kiss the ground....Rumi

About Me:

Just moved to Maryland from Florida last summer. I'm 37, just got my PhD last year, have organized against the Bushes in North Florida during the last two presidential elections and am now ready to start scoring some victories. Know more about working in red areas than blue ones. Except for organizing one rally, have worked only at the lowest (volunteer) levels in political organizations. Have had some more advanced experience in academic organizations. Left the Democratic party in 2000 and became a Green. Considering returning. Want more training, as I've only gotten trained informally, mostly through grassroots issue-based activism, though also through last year's campaign and its aftermath. After the election, with my fellow Kerry volunteers, founded a progressive organization in Clay County, FL, the reddest of evangelical military counties. We had 80 participants at our first meeting, and half of those have since given financial support to the group. 20 years separate the two Democratic campaigns I worked on--Mondale and Kerry. Up until last year I trusted no politician. Dean and Kerry changed that for me. I will give my all to the right leader, but I won't lie to him even if he wants me to. I am actually a terrible liar, which unfits me for certain kinds of political work and makes me very good at others. Everyone knows when I'm lying, but everyone also knows when I'm telling the truth. I use the latter as a power source. I am a good writer and researcher and brainstormer but have no objection to doing grunt work. I will work my butt off if I believe the work is valuable. In other words, I'm a pretty typical progressive activist--except that I have a habit of finding political metaphors in science fiction movies, such as George Bush being the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man from Ghostbusters.