Photo by OCW staffYou're a typical Orange County college student: rich, overprivileged and full of liberal guilt. Good. Now that you've got that straight, here are a few suggestions on how to turn your useless feelings of social concern into what Marx called praxis—the idea that people with ideas create reality, not the other way around. Confused? Seek help from the following groups:
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL, IRVINE GROUP 178.The internationally recognized organization meets at 7:30 p.m. on the last Tuesday of each month to help free political prisoners. Think they don't exist in Orange County? Ask wrongfully convicted young man
Arthur Carmona.
Full Spectrum Yoga, 2018 Quail St., Newport Beach, (949) 955-1965.COALITION AGAINST UNNECESSARY WARS.Led by local activist
Mike Mang, this isn't so much a coalition as a group of people who get together every Friday at 6 p.m. to agitate for peace.
Be prepared to get flipped-off.
Outside South Coast Plaza, look for the picket signs at Bristol and Anton, Costa Mesa, (949) 644-5956.COASTAL CONVERGENCE SOCIETY. This group meets at 7 p.m. on the last Thursday of each month to watch political videos and plan local actions. If you've never seen
Noam Chomsky on tape, here's your chance.
Cherrywood Village Clubhouse, Modale and Chapel, Huntington Beach, (714) 964-2162.FOOD NOT BOMBS LONG BEACH.As the name suggests, this group passes out food (tasty potatoes and rice tacos) to the homeless and preaches nonviolence each Sunday at 3:30 p.m. And they get beat on by the police for it.
Library Park, on Pacific Boulevard between Ocean Boulevard and First Street, Long Beach, (562) 308-1316, ext. 6605.GREEN PARTY OF ORANGE COUNTY.This group is the backbone of progressive politics behind the Orange Curtain. They meet once a month; call ahead to get details on the group's next meeting. Warning: there's more infighting among them than a whole season of
The Osbournes.
Irvine Ranch Water District, 15600 Sand Canyon Rd., Irvine, (714) 633-6550.LOS AMIGOS OF ORANGE COUNTY. Led by the affable
Amin David, this longtime Latino group provides networking opportunities for activists and politicians, as well as an open forum to hear about community issues in
Anaheim. Meetings begin bright and early each Wednesday at 7:30 a.m. A place for
vendidosand radicals alike.
Jägerhaus Restaurant, 2525 E. Ball Rd., Anaheim, (714) 520-9500.SERVICE EMPLOYEES INTERNATIONAL UNION LOCAL 1877. These are the folks behind the Justice for Janitors campaign. After reaching a historic agreement in Los Angeles, SEIU is looking at Orange County for their next victory. Right now, they're organizing janitors at
Chapman University (see "'Is There Something Wrong With These People?'" Sept. 13). The union has no regularly scheduled meetings but could always use a few student volunteers.
1608 N. Main St., Ste. D, Santa Ana, (714) 245-9700.
