On the subject of grass-roots activism, there is much one person
( Yeah, that's YOU out there! )
can do with little effort.
The mass emails are one, of course, but don't overlook the power of letters to your local or regional publications, and calls to local talk radio. These have far more influence with regular folks than you may think. I have gotten more calls from local people about letters I've written than I can remember offhand- it does affect people.
Activism is a two-way street... it's true that the fastest and flashiest method is "top-down," like having the President mention a subject dear to your heart, but the "percolate-up" method- from local, to state, to national awareness works too.
"There is nothing more powerful
than an idea whose time has come...."