There are no words…
I have struggled to articulate what races through my head (and has since November 4th) as we approach the inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States.
I cannot find the right words to say how I feel, what this means to me, what I hope for.
As I watched today’s concert at the Lincoln Memorial with tears streaming down my face, all I could think of was: Yes We Did.
We ARE the new American Majority. All of us. With voices, and tools and communities and a will for change.
Yes we did. Yes we can.
May God bless Barack Obama and his beautiful family and keep them safe.
May we begin the arduous process of rebuilding this country one citizen, one family, one small spark of hope at a time.
Hope is a powerful and amazing motivator. We can, we will, and we did.
Sphere: Related ContentIn these final hours…
Hope. And believe.
War With Iran? No, We Can’t. Call your Representatives.
Someone really needs to tell Congress to get a grip. That someone needs to be us. This is absolutely NOT the time to be saber-rattling in a serious way with Iran, and CERTAINLY not the time to be authorizing any resolution for military action.
Over the last three weeks 77 House Democrats and 92 Republicans have agreed to cosponsor a new resolution against Iran that demands that President Bush “initiate an international effort” to impose a land, sea, and air blockade on Iran to prevent it from importing gasoline and to inspect all cargo entering or leaving Iran.
Some facts:
- Play the memory game. This is how the Iraq disaster started. By shaking our fists at a country that did not attack us, did not in any way play a role in 9/11 and wasn’t responsible for whatever problems we had.
- Iranian people, for the most part, do not agree with aggressive moves toward other countries. Remember, armies need to have troops. Successful armies need to have troops with a cause.
- Believe it or not, Israel has the means and motivation to defend themselves.
- Afghanistan is going to hell in a handbasket.
- The motives for such a resolution are about oil, not security. Stop kidding yourself.
I’m not interested in fighting anyone else over oil. I’d just as soon quit using it. The political aim of introducing a resolution into Congress to encourage aggression against Iran is simply to force a choice between offshore drilling or aggressive action against a sovereign nation who has not threatened or attacked us.
It isn’t the job of our military or the citizens of this country to ensure that the Bush and Cheney families leave a fat oil inheritance to their families and cronies. Don’t be fooled by the absurdity of the proposal of these ‘elected officials’. Dethrone them instead.
And in the meantime, call your Representative and tell them NO WAR WITH IRAN. In fact, tell them NO MORE WAR FOR OIL.
Update The full text of the resolution is here. In the first paragraph, they mention the IAEA to bolster the claim that there is a threat. In fact, on 6/18/08, the IAEA published a communication from Iran in PDF format that indicates Iran’s willingness to address the issues around their nuclear program. The IAEA note at the end says it should be evaluated in six months. Of course, six months means Bush couldn’t shove us into war with them before the end of his presidency.
Sphere: Related ContentFISA, Fox and Obama
“In our country, I have found that this cooperation happens not because we agree on everything, but because behind all the labels and false divisions and categories that define us; beyond all the petty bickering and point-scoring in Washington, Americans are a decent, generous, compassionate people, united by common challenges and common hopes. And every so often, there are moments which call on that fundamental goodness to make this country great again.“ – Barack Obama, June 3, 2008
I’m disappointed in Barack Obama’s endorsement of the FISA compromise and I completely disagree with him on it. When I first read his statement over on TPM I was furious.
Over and over again, I’ve said that I believe this compromise erodes a core, fundamental value of this country. Not only because it erodes 4th amendment protections, but also because it will give the telcos the immunity they seek simply by going to court and telling the court that the President told them it was legal to do what they did.
I haven’t changed my mind on that.
What Barack Obama says about his decision is:
- It re-establishes at least a basic foundation of accountability;
- It restores FISA and existing criminal statutes as the only way to conduct surveillance;
- He doesn’t approve of the retroactive immunity but “will work in the Senate to remove [it]; and,
- It does not go far enough
On points 1,2 and 4 I agree. Point 3 is purely political; I don’t believe for a second that the retroactive immunity will be removed, particularly when this is attached to the much larger GI and War Funding bill. That disappoints me. It disappoints me that it doesn’t go far enough. It disappoints me that even one iota of our Constitution was the subject of a compromise, particularly by elected officials who swear to uphold and protect the Constitution.
It disappoints me because frankly, I want the head of George Bush on a platter for his flagrant abuse of the United States Constitution. (Figuratively, not literally, just in case there are any .gov visitors reading this). Hell yes, I want to impeach them all and put David Addington and John Yoo in jail for a very long time for what he’s done. I’m angry, affronted and offended that these brazen thieves and robbers have hijacked our government for what will surely be their personal gain.
This is why I am not a politician. I’m an opinionated citizen who has a voice, a blog and a vote. I have neither the patience nor the diplomatic skills to expect gray outcomes in a black and white case. And this is why a snippet of Obama’s speeches echoed in my mind. That snippet is at the beginning of this post.
What I lacked was perspective on just how deep the divide is in our country between those who fear and those who hope. By happenstance, I had a conversation with a couple whose daughter dances with mine and was completely taken by surprise when, with no prompting from me, the husband burst forth with a scathing diatribe about Obama and how much he hated the idea of him becoming President, because those damn liberals were going to allow our country to be attacked again and ruin the economy and appoint three liberal Supreme Court justices all in one four-year term.
This is a nice man. We have known each other for several years and he is a salt-of-the-earth GOOD person. He’s not ugly, but his words were.
Then I realized something else about him. He was deeply afraid. This was a true emotion running through everything he said and believed. Being fearful, he then chose news sources that stoked his fear. At some point I interrupted his diatribe and said “You must watch The O’Reilly Factor for your news. You sound just like him. In fact, you could do a screen test and sit in for him.”
To which he replied, “It’s the only show I watch. Me, my daughter and my wife sit down and watch it every day.”
As the conversation went on, I decided to see how he felt about FISA, because some conservative Republicans I know dislike the idea of eroding Constitutional rights as much as some progressives. His response was flat. “Wiretaps make us safer.” This was said in connection with a strong affirmation that torturing the bastards at Guantanamo was the least we should be doing to them.
Fear. Raw, unadulterated fear, with some O’Reilly style hate on the side. The thing is, he’s in the majority on this, which is why it wouldn’t have made sense for Obama to oppose it.
The FISA and torture issues have been framed to prey upon people’s fears, and it’s worked fabulously. Until these issues can be reframed in a way that exposes and resolves those fears, pushing back isn’t an option if one wants to have a political career that actually succeeds and gets them elected.
It comes down to this: Opposing this ‘compromise’ is too nuanced a position to take in a country where people decide who to vote for based upon whether they’d have a drink with them, or gender, or race, or whatever other superficial excuse is made for their surrender to the dark place where fears grow.
Realizing that, I also understand that my deepest disappointment, anger, and contempt is reserved for the corporate-controlled media, the Rupert Murdochs, Sean Hannitys and Bill O’Reillys who intentionally dumb down the issues of the day into 10-word sound bites and feeds them to the American public like hors d’oeurves next to their apple pie.
Yes, I wish that there were a way for Obama to step up and communicate with us in a way that would be persuasive enough for some to reconsider their position. But this is too hot an issue, too close to home for ones who fear to let go. It’s too big of a step.
Sad, but true. So I’m disappointed that Obama walked carefully down the center, but I understand why he did it, and just like Gotta Laff over at the Political Carnival,
Right now I’m angry. I’ll get over it.
That doesn’t mean I won’t keep holding his feet to the fire. I will. Because the antidote to fear IS hope. I’m the perennial optimist, I suppose, but I do believe that progress will be made back to a place where O’Reilly is irrelevant and people think for themselves, and fear is something they had but got over, just like my anger.
Sphere: Related ContentOrganizing for Obama: Ordinary People, Extraordinary Resolve
Four years ago I was sure there wasn’t another Democrat living in this city. It wasn’t an unreasonable thing to believe, given that our representative is a 5-term Republican who voted for the war, thinks we should wiretap whoever we want, and consistently votes for Bush policies with full confidence that he’ll be sent back to the House with the same 20-point spread he gets every time he runs for re-election. Hell, he doesn’t even run. Supporters put up a few signs and his name is at the top of the ballot, and that’s about it.
This district is just about as red as they come.
When I received the notice that there was going to be an organizing meeting for Obama tonight, I almost didn’t go. Not because I don’t want to support him, but because it would have been really depressing to walk into a room with 20 or so people and know that we didn’t stand a chance of changing many minds. At the same time, I knew not going would be giving up before I started. So I sent the RSVP a couple of weeks ago and added it to the calendar.
My husband is still in the Republican camp, though he has changed his party affiliation to Independent and voted for Obama in the primary. He’s not at all enthused about the political process and less enthused at the prospect of me becoming an activist some 20-odd years into our marriage. When I grabbed my keys to the Prius and gave him a half-hearted invitation to attend, he used the Laker game as an excuse and didn’t question me too closely about what exactly it was I was doing…it didn’t quite sink in that I was going to go beyond the occasional online donation and actually toss my name into a hat as a volunteer. I think he figured it out when I came home with the window sign and bumper sticker. (He’s still pissed about the MOMocrats sticker on the car…but it’s staying anyway).
Enough about me. Off I went to the meeting. After my GPS failed me twice, I finally found the place and was only 10 minutes late. I knew attendance was expected to be higher than originally assumed, but when I walked into the room I was unprepared for an utterly energized room of over 200 people to be on their feet applauding the District coordinator, Deborah Dent. The sound was like thunder and the ovation went on and didn’t stop there. I think we were on our feet or applauding for the majority of the meeting; that is, when I wasn’t twittering what was going on.
Energy. Light. Enthusiasm. People of all ages, from 14-80, men, women, boys, girls. People’s mothers, fathers, sons, daughters. Republicans, veterans, independent voters, Hillary supporters, lawyers and garbage collectors. All in one room for one purpose. Pure energy poured out of that room. Meet some of the people:
Graham is 17. He’s been homeschooled, is extremely passionate. He’s wearing a shirt his sister gave him that says “If I was old enough to vote, I’d vote for Barack Obama.” He’s attending Moorpark College, studying political science and international relations. He’s involved in political groups on campus and plans to campaign for Obama in swing states. He is articulate and intelligent, with a deep well of passion running underneath his calmer exterior.
Kathy is the mother of 5 children, all under the age of 10. She was raised a Republican in a Republican family. Her mother attends meetings at the Republican club in Simi Valley still, her husband is also Republican. She’s here to secure her children’s futures. She doesn’t believe the Republicans can do that, but she does believe Obama has the leadership and answers.
Cal is an older gentleman. He gets emotional when he speaks of his reasons for being there. He says he’s inspired, that he’s been giving money to the campaign, but believes it’s time now to get involved in more than giving.
Karen has never been very political, but thinks there is too much at stake not to be involved.
Another gentleman about my age (I didn’t catch his name), stands up and declares that he’s a lifelong Republican who has been proud of his country. And while he doesn’t want to say he’s not proud of his country, he is not proud of its leadership. His hope is that Barack Obama can restore the proud and strong leadership position that has made us proud before and can again.
Tom represents Veterans for Obama. He says that veterans have special moral authority in this campaign, because they can speak against McCain. While he respects McCain’s service, he does not believe McCain has the skill or the necessary authority to lead us out of the war and into better times. He will be traveling the country, speaking on behalf of the veterans who feel abandoned and pushed away by the current administration.
A Hillary supporter stands (I didn’t catch her name either). There are about 10 who raise their hands when asked if they were former Hillary supporters. She says she’s here because she wants change, and that change will come with Obama as president. She is less concerned with any identification with personality and more concerned that a Democrat be elected. She is here for the candidate. She’s energized.
Another Hillary supporter is a lawyer who says she really wants to want to get out of bed in the morning, something that she thinks is an effort right now.
Don is another older gentleman who, through tears, says that he supports Obama because we all need to get together and make change happen. He hasn’t seen anyone else who can do it. Don’s passion touches everyone in the room, including me.
The next speaker is a woman in her 60’s who says she worked for JFK’s campaign and then for RFK’s campaign, that her mother also worked for the RFK campaign and was there on the night in June when he was assassinated. She says she was so disillusioned that she drifted away from any political involvement, married, moved to Simi, raised kids, supported her husband’s career, and held a cynical view of politics and politicians. Until Obama. Her words: “I feel like a kid again!” I can tell she means it.
Dick Phillips is the final speaker. He is the president of the Camarillo Democrats Club and was supposed to be there to lead everyone in the Pledge of Allegiance. He is late because he was with a group picketing a Strickland event with Mitt Romney in Thousand Oaks where they were highlighting the Stricklands’ acceptance of the Big tobacco lobbyists’ money to fund their campaign. In the course of their picket, their group was assaulted — physically — by several Strickland supporters. He had to stay to give police reports. This is the politics of bedroom communities that are struggling to change from the old to the new. It’s not just here, it’s all over the nation.
The rest of the meeting is spent describing opportunities and upcoming needs for phonebanking, voter registration, house parties and the like. Despite the everydayness of the topic, there’s an underlying river of enthusiasm and creativity flowing. People have come from all over, as far away as Ojai, Simi Valley and as near as Camarillo. All of us have the sense that we are, as a collective whole, on the brink of doing something important, life-changing, even world-changing.
Though it’s understood that California is solidly Democrat and trending toward even more solid standing there, that doesn’t mean there isn’t work to do. People are planning already for trips to Nevada and Arizona, to other swing states where they will canvas and help organize other groups. This small group of people turned Santa Barbara blue, and thanks to the hard work they put in with voter registrations, for the first time in years, there are more Democrats registered than Republicans.
The work to be done, the ground being laid, isn’t just for Barack Obama. It’s the work of building this movement into a nation-changing groundswell where we send Representatives to Congress that won’t compromise on the FISA bill, aren’t afraid to stand up for the Constitution they pledged to defend, won’t waver on doing what’s right. There are at least 200 people fired up and ready to go to accomplish just that.
When you hear Barack Obama give his speech about how one person stood up in the room, and then the room stood up, and then the city, and then the state, and then the nation, believe it. Believe it with all your heart, because I saw it with my own eyes. Young, old, red, blue, veteran, housewife, worker, retiree…all standing for change in one room in a community where I hardly believed change was desired, much less possible.
Hope. All kinds of hope, bundled up in one room, focused on taking the hope out of the room, into the community, into the cities, into the states, and into the White House.
Believe it. Change is coming.
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