Civic duty is far from dull these days. There's a lot going on out there when it comes to politics and policy. You've got to make your voice heard. The best way, of course, is to vote and I mean in every election, from the race for dogcatcher all the way up. But voting is not enough. Good Democrats need to roll up their sleeves and jump into the mix in many other ways, too.

Here is a simple list of ways you can make a difference:

Run for office.

It may seem old-fashioned, but I still believe that good people can do great things from elected office. And I'm not just trying to drum up business; you don't need some overpriced consultant to run your race. Put together a platform you believe in and go for it.

Volunteer on a campaign.

If you don't want to run for office, volunteer for someone who does. It can be in a local campaign or in the local branch of a national campaign. Campaigns are always short on money, and volunteers are the heart and soul of most efforts.

Talk to your children about public affairs and politics.

Make sure your dinner-table talk goes beyond Power Rangers and the prom. There's an old saying: "War is too important to be left to the generals." Civic discussions are too important to be left to television talking heads.

Write letters to the editor.

Give newspaper readers a chance to read something more intelligent and insightful than the normal editorial goop.

Go to town hall meetings.

Scandalously few people actually show up at these. Call up your county commissioner, your state representative, you city councilperson. Find out where and when you can go to speak your mind, or just listen.

Attend school board meetings.

Even if you don't have kids in your local school system, you better believe that what goes on in those schools affects you.

Write members of Congress.

In these days of phony-baloney Astroturf lobbying, real letters from real people count.

Write a check.

Sit down with your family, decide how much you can afford to give, and get it out there to a candidate or cause you admire. Don't be afraid to send a note with the money.

Get involved in discussions on the Internet.

I'm serious. Although I personally have a better chance of flying a 747 than I do finding the on-off switch on my office computer, I hear the Internet is a great way to get involved and stay informed.

Here's a quick list of ways you can find good Dems in cyberspace:

Check out these Web sites: The White House, Democratic National Committee, Democratic Leadership Council.

Subscribe to The Internet Democrat, a free E-mail newsletter; send the message "subscribe" (no quotes) to internet-democratsrequest@webcom.com Subscribe to the Demtalk list server; send the message "subscribe" (no quotes) to Demtalklist@aquilapub.clever.net.

Be just as willing to compliment as you are to criticize.

The last thing we need is more cynicism. Be constructive