Since I officially signed up to back Barack & hit the local campaign trail, I wanted to share an impassioned email I got from Pixiesis (unedited, in its entirety) with you:
If you are receiving this email you are probably a bit surprised
because, while I enjoy a good political discussion, I rarely, if ever,
put my opinions out there in email form like this. It probably comes
from having been a member of a Yahoo Group where this was strictly
forbidden and being of the people whose job it was to enforce this rule
with the other members. In any case, I am breaking my own rule just
once, today to write to you about Barack Obama.
I had a dream last night that stirred me and I feel like I need to do
something about it. In the dream I was in school again and the teacher
had asked us to bring in a photo of our earliest political memory for a
class project. I brought in a photo of myself marching in a peace rally
against the Vietnam war with my family. No such photo exists and I do
not believe my family ever marched together in a peace rally, but there
it was. I was thinking about what to write in the memory book while
looking at the other photos when I noticed a sign next to the book that
said, “Republican Memories Only.” I couldn’t believe it. I didn’t know
what my parents political affiliation had been in the photo, but I had a
feeling protesting the Vietnam war would not qualify as a “Republican
Memory.” I spoke to the teacher and told her I didn’t think this was
fair or right that our memories should be censored. Her response was
cool, even and unremitting. All memories that were not of a Republican
political event were to be left out. You could add your picture to the
book, but you could not write about it. She told me that another boy in
my class had refused to comply and had been suspended from school. I
took this as a warning. The more I protested, the more insistent she
became that the rules for this assignment) would not be changed. I was
so angry in the dream that the teacher would not listen to me, that she
did not see how unfair this assignment was that I started to cry. I was
so angry in the dream that I woke myself up and when I woke up I
realized that I was really crying.
I lay in bed for awhile not sure what to do and then I remembered that I
had meant to write this email a few weeks back after Mark and I went to
see Barack Obama speak here in Seattle and I realized that this dream
was my reminder to write this letter and to send it to all of you.
I don’t want to tell you how to vote - of course not - that would be
like the teacher in my dream telling me how to remember my political
past. That would be wrong. I am giving you my opinion and asking you -
if you are interested in hearing more - to check out Barack Obama. To
consider him as our next President. To give him a shot.
His speech here in Seattle moved me. It gave me a little bit of hope. I
have not been living much of a political life since I had children. This
is partly because having kids pretty much kicked my ass and some days it
was all I could do to get out of bed in the morning so I didn’t have a
lot of energy left for political involvement, but it’s also because
politics since 9/11 and the re-election of George Bush has been so
______________, so divisive, so downright depressing. I just haven’t
wanted to join the fray and feel all of that anger and hopelessness.
Yet, it has been there in the background and I have not been able to
completely ignore it. I know that our civil liberties mean less than
they did 10 years ago, I know that men and women young enough to be my
children are dying everyday in Iraq, I know that there is a Seattle
radio talk show host who believes, and is saying so on the air, that
employers should be legally entitled to discriminate against Muslims
when hiring because of 9/11 and the War on Terror. This is what is being
said on the radio. In Seattle! Where we don’t even stand up and clap too
loudly at a sporting event lest we disturb or offend our neighbor.
So, what’s my point? My point is: Consider Barack Obama for President in
2008. I’m not saying vote for him. I’m just asking you to check him out
because black or white, rich or poor, Republican or Democrat, Alien or
Earthling, this is a man who can make a difference. This is a man who can
give us some hope. This is a man who believes in your right to life,
liberty and the pursuit of happiness no matter what you look like, how
you worship or even who you voted for in the last election. Barack is
the real deal. So give him a look….(If you want to! : )
www.barackobama.com
Peace, Love and Barack,
Lara
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{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
The first time I ever knew of Barack Obama was during the last presidential campaign when he spoke at the DNC. I was amazed, blown away, and thought to myself “He’s the one we’ve been waiting for since we lost RFK.” (I was a HUGE RFK fan when I was 11 years old and cried like a baby when he was shot). Right then and there I was on board. As much as I respect Hillary, I can’t vote for her and won’t unless she’s the only Democratic choice I have. She would be too divisive - which we’ve had too many years of already. Barack speaks to everyone and I believe he’s got a lot to bring to the presidency. I hate to see him have to mix it up with Hillary on the campaign trail, as it demeans them both, and I don’t know why she feels the need to run for president but I hope like hell he can shove her off the ticket during the primaries. Probably won’t happen but my money’s on Barack. All the way.
Sorry I took up so much space! but I love this guy.
Oh, and I loved the dream you had. A message was being sent to you, Pix!
I think Barak Obama and Reggie Miller look alike, especially when they smile.
I’ll use that line at my first BO event this eve & let you know how it goes.
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