my republican friends

I haven't posted in a long time because I can't get my mind to focus on anything but politics. So, since it's been a while, I'm just going to post-- about politics!

During my canvassing and phonebanking experiences in Kalkaska, we encounter mostly undecided folks who welcome the chance to discuss politics freely, because it's typically quite taboo in the workplace and social gatherings around here (yes, I'm trying to break free from that societal constriction).

So, the biggest two "beefs" that I have with McCain supporters is that the ones I have met are actually people who I consider friends, and I can't understand the logic behind their choice, and that has caused me some great frustration.

First, one of the issues people I know have struggled with is the whole pro-choice/pro-life drama. I don't quite get it... because if people look at the approaches taken by Obama and McCain with regards to sex education and accessibility of birth control, it is very clear that Obama's ideas would prevent unwanted pregnancies in the first place! Hence, leading to less abortions. There is a much more eloquent opinion piece about this here, and I think it shows that Obama and Democrats take a much more common-sense approach actually in tune with the times.

The second issue that frustrates me is the whole identification with the Republican Party. People say that they believe in what the Republican Party represents... but hello!? The Republican Party has done anything BUT represent what they originally stood for. Small government? Less spending? Give me a break. Under some *new* democratic leadership from Barack Obama (that hasn't been completely overtaken by the power of big corporations), we surely won't see as much money being wasted on war and owed overseas. We surely won't bend over backwards for the big business people, and there will be some actual accountability where citizens can actually see how their tax dollars are being spent.

Note that I said *new* leadership... I am greatly aware that Democrats have been just as guilty of misleading the public and bowing to big business. But I believe that Senator Obama is different, and that he will lead our country to a better place.

rally: on the road for change

My mother and I took a day trip to Battle Creek yesterday to attend a rally where Senator Barack Obama and Senator Joe Biden spoke to a crowd of over 16,000. Although the speeches were short and it was difficult to see the stage, the energy made the wait completely worthwhile. Unlike the time I saw Obama in Ohio during the primaries (a smaller townhall meeting), this was certainly a big event. My mom and I waited in the line for over an hour, then plopped down on the grass (we filled the field of a baseball stadium) to wait for another few hours with thousands of others... what a delightful group of people willing to give up their Sunday afternoons/evenings to see a man who inspires us all to do more than we have ever done before to fight for change.

On the more humorous side, I was hoping someone would scope out the crowd for people to place front and center for the speech-- I tried to look somewhat cute yesterday, but my mom really had the "look"... a battery-powered fan visor! The visor, combined with her spray bottle and electric handheld fan, certainly shouted "pick me" to the staff. Unfortunately, no one came around in search of us. Also on the humorous side-- we spotted some of our family friends the Jennings selling buttons for my old middle school history teacher, Mr. Hosner! I remember his classes, drawing political cartoons and holding the mock election in 7th grade (I "voted" for Ross Perot). And Mr. Jennings told us that they sell buttons at both Democratic and Republican events, and the Republicans are much more *conservative* with their purchases, whereas the Dems will buy them buy the bundle! :) I think we can wear them more proudly!

I almost forgot-- one of the most exciting moments was seeing Obama's bus leave with the entourage of police escorts and secret service... They had megaphones and forced cars to pull off the road, as it was the main exit from the stadium! When the last Secret Service SUV drove past, I gave a knowing smile to one of the men poised to spring out of the opened back... and he smiled knowingly back at me! I was thrilled.

Anyhow, here are some photos from our day-- forgive the out-of-focus stage shot!

chills

I have been reading the transcript from Barack Obama's speech last night, and I am still getting chills from it. Let me share with you one of my favorite parts, because it truly gets to the heart of his campaign...

"...I know there are those who dismiss such beliefs as happy talk. They claim that our insistence on something larger, something firmer, and more honest in our public life is just a Trojan horse for higher taxes and the abandonment of traditional values.

And that's to be expected, because if you don't have any fresh ideas, then you use stale tactics to scare voters.

If you don't have a record to run on, then you paint your opponent as someone people should run from. You make a big election about small things.

And you know what? It's worked before, because it feeds into the cynicism we all have about government. When Washington doesn't work, all its promises seem empty. If your hopes have been dashed again and again, then it's best to stop hoping and settle for what you already know.

I get it. I realize that I am not the likeliest candidate for this office. I don't fit the typical pedigree, and I haven't spent my career in the halls of Washington.

But I stand before you tonight because all across America something is stirring. What the naysayers don't understand is that this election has never been about me; it's about you.

For 18 long months, you have stood up, one by one, and said, "Enough," to the politics of the past. You understand that, in this election, the greatest risk we can take is to try the same, old politics with the same, old players and expect a different result.

You have shown what history teaches us, that at defining moments like this one, the change we need doesn't come from Washington. Change comes to Washington.

Change happens -- change happens because the American people demand it, because they rise up and insist on new ideas and new leadership, a new politics for a new time."

You can see the rest of the speech here, and there's a good article about it here.

Michael Moore: not a hypocrite

It blew my mind after Mike's Film Festival Surprise when a girl asked Michael how he keeps from feeling like a hypocrite, especially after watching an hour of Mike doing a monologue on stage in London during which he continuously challenged the audience to think critically. The crowd at Lars Hockstead Auditorium in Traverse City inadvertently defended Michael as movie-goers thanked him for everything he's done locally and nationally. Michael, however, answered the girl's question in his reliably humble manner. He said that yes, they have a nice house and send their daughter to a good school, because they are able to, but they also continue to do what they can with what they have. In another after-movie Q&A, Michael and other filmmakers discussed the notion of guilt, and they basically encouraged people not to feel guilty for being one of the "haves" in a world of "have-nots". In fact, the "haves" are the lucky ones, not just because we have wealth or health care or material goods, but because we are able to do something to make the world a better place. (Please keep in mind that Michael also sent a check to the government in the amount of his Bush tax cut that profited the wealthy and left us little guys behind. He is doing what he can to avoid any level of hypocrisy.)

Michael also pointed out the fact that his successes have been lucky-- whether or not he profited off of his books/movies/etc., he would have done what needed to be done. In one of Mike's books, he talks about how he is actually quite introverted and gets really nervous about confrontation. But he does it, time and time again, because he feels so passionately about opening up our eyes to this harsh reality in which we live. We live in a society afraid to talk about difficult things-- politics, government, inequalities. And until we can start opening up about these things, we need people like Michael Moore, who are willing to take on the task. It's almost like we live in a dreamworld of preferred ignorance because then we don't have to give a damn.

woo-hoo!

Once more, a link to a great post!

(for my republican readers, you'll just have to deal with my political posts...
These are promising times for progressive thinkers!)

ha ha ha

From the Daily Kos blog today...
"LOL! McCain Versus Obama in Today's Images"

I've gotta say; that's the 2nd time today I've found something incredibly worth a look on the Daily Kos... perhaps I need to spend even MORE time procrastinating on a daily basis through online shenanigans. Classics.

this land is your land...

Death

Destruction

Doomsday arrived

Mourning

Madness

Masochistic pride

Fear

Fallacy

Fleeting unity

Self

Silence

Stifled democracy

I wonder why it takes tragedy to bring people together here in the United States. And even then, tragedy does not always lead to unity, at least not to the extent you’d expect. Society’s selfish way of life, the consequence of technology and all the *wonderful* things that have been created over time, tends to get in the way of societal harmony.

Imagine for a moment our love of space… dreams of the bigger home, the big yard, the storage areas, the shed, the attic, the extra-roomy SUV. While we define space as a luxury, it truly is a safety feature for our minds, a barrier from the outside world. The more space we have surrounding us, the harder it is for anyone to infiltrate or break through, and so we experience a feeling of security.

Of course space also gives us pleasure because it’s more space to fill. To fill with all the goodies that come along with our culture, material goods that clutter our minds with anxieties and perpetuate our world of wants. Ah yes, the good ol’ US of A.

(http://www.americanframe.com/gallery/artgallery/itemthumbnails/AS0002449.jpg... artwork entitled "Liberty's Children"; our prompt for Sacred Writing today)

yes we can! :)

My carpool partner and new friend, Gloria, and I spent an intense 2 days in Cleveland canvassing for Senator Obama's campaign. We knocked on 200+ doors, talking with many enthusiastic voters and leaving an informative Obama door-hanger with details about voting and specific polling place locations. I even spent 20 minutes chatting with an old retired professor in his historic home, discussing our country's issues and learning some of Cleveland's history.

I have many funny stories to share, but not enough time at the moment...


So, here are a couple of blurry photos from a MOST exciting event-- Lucky us, it just so happened that Barack was holding a town hall meeting in Parma Saturday night, only 20 minutes from our location... and even without tickets, we got in! He spoke for about an hour and 15 minutes, and I was so impressed. The first half was his usual stump speech, but for the last half he answered questions from the crowd, and Senator Obama answered each question thoroughly. His responses were so intelligent, from such an amazingly rational perspective with real problem-solving steps. Everyone left there with a feeling of real possibility, like maybe there truly is a chance for the United States to become united again.

Super Tuesday

On this day, I thought it would be appropriate to share a political cartoon with you...I think if you click on it, you should be able to see a bigger version? If not, click here.

On a personal note, I'm anxious about the long evening ahead, as poll results come in!

And now, for an amusing political tale... Last night I had decided, in my pre-primary excitement, that I would partake in the campaign calls for Obama. So, I logged into the website and retrieved a list of Colorado voters. My first call was to a gal named Heidi. A gruff man (who I'm imagining may have been her father?) answered, I asked for Heidi, and he asked who was calling. So, I read my little call script, identifying myself as a supporter of Obama. The gruff man then said something close to the following: "Listen here, Erin, you make sure you take me off your list and don't ever call again, or I will go out of my way to be sure that I do everything in my power to vote against you and your people." Needless to say, my first call became my last.