The Brights' Bulletin
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Issue #7
(Note that links in archived Bulletin issues may no longer be valid.)
Hello again, Brights!
* "Note in a Bottle" Signup Comment
* Brights Update
* Forum Task Team Needs Facilitators (Moderators)
* Flier Available
* Letters are Valuable Individual Actions
* No More "Herding Cats"
* Icon Submissions
* Bumper Sticker Possibilities
* Children of Brights and Others
* Brightrights.org and Bright.Meetup.com
* Tailings: Link to Archive Bulletins and Unsubscribe
Keeping it simple. The Bulletin uses plain text. Many Brights do not have the capability to receive e-mail in any other form.
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SIGNUP COMMENT FROM STEWART OF KANSAS, USA
"What a fascinating linguistic experiment, to seed a culture with a linguistic icon representing an idea, to launch the icon via the communications mechanisms of our day, and then to see how far it travels and what impact it has. It has the feel of putting a note in a bottle and throwing it into the ocean, and then having it replicate. But it's how we change the world, isn't it?"
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BRIGHTS UPDATE
After five months on the Web, Brights number in five figures and are in 85 nations. Recent articles on our movement can be found in the Atlantic Monthly and the Wall Street Journal (the latter turned out to be more of a hit piece than journalism as the WSJ published neither our own nor philosopher Daniel Dennett's replies to the flaws in a purported philosophical argument). We appreciated the exposure, though, and drew U.S. signups from both pieces. The movement was also on Swedish public radio and TV. A New Zealand radio interview will be broadcast on November 11 (10:00 NZ time).
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FORUM TASK TEAM NEEDS FACILITATORS
The Brights Forum is ready to go live ! as soon as it has acquired volunteer facilitators (moderators) for the various English language forums. FORUM FACILITATORS/MODERATOR ARE SOUGHT FROM ACROSS THE GLOBE.
Here are the specifics: Facilitators/moderators will be chosen from volunteers who spend a significant amount of time logged on, who are sociable, and who enjoy lots of different points of view. Preference will be given to those who can agree to a minimum three-month commitment. We especially need facilitators in the different time zones around the world to ensure constant facilitation. You will be provided training and assistance. If you are interested, then e-mail the-brights@the-brights.net stating your interest and summarizing your experience. On the subject line, put FORUM VOLUNTEER.
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ACTION - FLIER AVAILABLE
You can print out copies of a PDF file of a "1+1=2 quarter-page flier" (four to the page) for downloading, printing, and distributing to friends, meetings, bookstores, and so forth. Go to
[ www.the-brights.net/brightsflier.pdf ] to print it.
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LETTERS ARE VALUABLE INDIVIDUAL ACTIONS
With a mere ninety words, a woman in France does her part to confront one of the greatest barriers to social equality for Brights: the common but false equating of morality to religion. Her action is a simple one, but it has now been read around the world.
----(Letter to NYT by Barbara Burke Hubbard, Marseille, France)----
"In your Oct.28 front-page article about the four abused boys in New Jersey, you write of 'two sharply contrasting realities: four adopted youngsters starving in plain sight and a family that was widely seen as loving and deeply religious.'
It is incomprehensible that loving parents would starve their children, but I object to the implied equation between religion and morality. It would be equally incomprehensible if convinced atheists starved their children. Religious conviction is no guarantor of moral or kind behavior, as anyone with a cursory knowledge of history knows."
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Brights as individuals can write such "letters to the editor" at opportune times, including the noun "bright" when they can!! Letters are a key form of individual action to influence not only the public, but also the press and media, now so powerful at forming public perceptions.
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NO MORE "HERDING CATS"
Comment from James of Ireland: "I think it's time we stopped being so proud of the old "organizing non-believers is like herding cats" axiom. It was a poor excuse not to work together, not to get involved. Nice to see we're finally taking steps in a positive direction, it seems we need to now more than ever."
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ICON SUBMISSIONS
We are renewing the call for original submissions for "a minimalist icon that carries our message." We still need a design for a very simple emblem for use as a pin, or for hanging on a necklace, or as a symbol of the Brights' Net Web site. Please see the guidelines at
[ www.the-brights.net/iconsubmit.htm ]
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POSTER/BUMPER STICKER POSSIBILITIES
Many thanks to all Brights who submitted slogans. We received over 400 in all and selected some to send along to EvolveFISH for potential use on bumper stickers, T-shirts, and such. The colorful blue and yellow icon link at
[ www.the-brights.net/beingabright.htm ] leads to EvolveFish.com, which donates proceeds from purchases toward a Brights' Net youth educational fund. For other vendors and for those enterprising do-it-yourselfers who want to print their own bumper stickers or signs, we have posted selected slogans on the Web site
[ www.the-brights.net/soundbites.htm ]
Here are a few of the posted sayings:
* Brights: 100% natural--No added superstition
* I'm A Bright, And I Vote!
* Brights: All over the world and right next door
* The Incredible Credible Brightness of Being
* The Brights' Net: The Chance of a Lifetime - Don't Myth It
* I am a worker Bright
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CHILDREN OF BRIGHTS AND OTHERS
Hello, parents/guardians! Please read the following Brights' Net's "rules" for youngsters signing up to be counted in the constituency of Brights.
1) The decision to be a Bright must be the child's. Any youngster who is told he or she must, or should, be a Bright can NOT be a Bright. [The Brights' Net doesn't wish to count children who are not taking the step for themselves.]
2) Children should know they can change their mind at a later time (as can any person).
3) A child must be able to independently sign onto the Brights' Net site, read and understand the definition, conclude they are a Bright, and then locate and complete the sign-up form without assistance. (Parents should feel free to discuss likely implications of "being a Bright" with the child, but the child must be capable of abiding by the guidelines.)
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BRIGHTRIGHTS.ORG AND BRIGHTS.MEETUP.COM
WWW.BRIGHTRIGHTS.ORG ( USA): The current rights issue on the [www.brightrights.org] site concerns the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) requiring a statement of a belief in god on the VFW application form. You may want to join the movement to change that.
WWW.BRIGHTS.MEETUP.COM (International): Over 1,100 individuals in 64 cities get together using MeetUp. [Top MeetUp sites are in order: New York, London, Boston, Washington D.C. and Sacramento.]. Many Brights have requested information on how to meet other Brights. Go to [www.brights.meetup.com] and get involved - it is free. The MeetUp site is a bit difficult to work with at first and may require some perseverance. The Brights' Net, as an international constituency of individuals, is not itself organizing any meetings or membership groups.
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TAILINGS
We apologize for a broken link in the Brighten Op 1 (Brighten Opportunity to President Bush at the White House). The correct link is
[ http://www.the-brights.net/talktobush.htm ]
You can read all prior and current Bulletins in the archive at
[ www.the-brights.net/broadcastarchive.htm ]
If you prefer to read the Bulletin on line at the above link, or not to receive future Bulletins, please reply to this e-mail by placing UNSUBSCRIBE on the subject line.
"We are Brights and We Vote!"
Co-Directors: Mynga Futrell and Paul Geisert
Webmaster: Kevin Schultz
