Was I accurate in how I thought about LA? Part 2

See Part 1 of the series for a brief intro. Essentially, I'm looking back at the pros and cons of moving to Los Angeles for my current job; I'm asking if pros and cons actually exist in my life and to what extent they have enhanced this phase and my life.

Today's post is about Progressive Politics -- I thought in Atlanta that LA/California would introduce me to another progressive community, provide a step in the door of a truly progressive organization, and help me meet progressive friends with whom I could explore life.

Progressive politics and the progressive community represents so much that, as a pro for moving to Los Angeles, its not easy to say that it has come true. I'll talk briefly about the acquaintances and friends I've made and the information I have access to here in South Central.

I hang out with a couple different communities, the first being LA ultimate, the second being my pre-LA friends and their friend, the third being work friends... ACORN staff in this and other offices and former staff.

People in the ultimate community are generally liberal but I have found only a few active progressives. [See Atlanta's Urban Independents for a progressive group maintained by ultimate friends on the east side of Atlanta.]

I have started to talk hip-hop, anti-war stuff with friends and friends of friends but that hasn't really gone anywhere except for a rejection for this Friday to watch a documentary about the War in Iraq.

Despite that, I'm hoping to build on the friendships through work to get deeper in progressive organizing (that is, in fact, what ACORN does), events, and thinking. Still, the organizing staff in ACORN offices seem to reach a point of fatigue with the whole low-income organizing for progressive issues and campaigns with their daily labor.

Oh yeah, and there's my reading group. I found this progressive reading group on craigslist and have read a book a month since the first of the year.*

With each of these communities, I feel the need to do much of the suggesting, info-gathering, and organizing for people to gather, momentum to build, and real peace and justice creativity to develop around me.

Readers: please let me know if you have any suggestions.

p.s. the book i'm reading now for the reading group, entitled Bowling Aone, focuses on the lack of associational behavior and the decline in social capitol in the US since the 1960s. if you're interested in reading and/or joining the group, holla.