Notes on Yesterday
BLOOMINGTON, INDIANA. Growing up, because my parents have always advocated voting, I assumed that everyone voted and everyone should. After the 2000 election, I realized this isn’t the case. I have voted in every election since 2002. In 2006 I stepped up and donated a few bucks to important races. This year I donated a little more and, more importantly, got off of my ass and hit the pavement.
Yesterday we pushed through to make a Change here in Indiana. Jason woke up at 4:00 am to monitor polls. I was out at the Obama HQ at 8:30 to start canvassing. Yes, I knocked on 50 doors, yes, I called over 75 phone numbers, and, yes, I helped get people to their correct polling locations and improve our candidate's visibility in Bloomington—but so did so many of my fellow volunteers. I believe that I and my fellow volunteers helped get those five votes per precinct that colored Indiana blue.
So, yes, my efforts paid off big time. I am proud to be a Hoosier. I am proud to be a Hoosier because of the fellow Hoosiers I met yesterday. When I showed up at the Obama office to get in line to check in for canvassing, an elderly gentleman, shaking and barely able to walk, came up to me and told me that he shakes too much to pin a button on his hat. So he handed me his hat and I pinned a “Veterans for Obama” button to his navy blue hat. Before I had the chance to talk to him he raised his voice a bit and said “Let’s F*ing do this!” before grabbing his canvassing packet and
Later that day, after canvassing and calling, I went with two lovely ladies to go get students to vote on the IU campus. One girl I was with was only sixteen years old, and she had been volunteering for the campaign for several weeks. Although unable to vote, she knew she needed to do something to engage her community, and she tried to get everyone she knew—and plenty she didn’t know—to get out there and vote for our guy. America is coming together.
Like our President-Elect said—we can’t rest on our laurels. We need to keep working. We need to work to reverse some of the perverse ballot measures that passed in many states, most notably California’s Proposition 8 and similar measures in Florida and Arkansas. Luckily we still have Massachusetts and Connecticut and a few more of us are elected officials. Gay marriage will be legal in this country soon. We need to be actively involved in helping this country resume its place as an example for the world, on this issue and many more. We need to work to get this country back on its feet, get its head in the right place, and get it progressing the way it should.
Finally, watching the Grant Park rally, with my sister and brother-in-law somewhere in the crowd among many of my friends and fellow Chicagoans, only one block from where I used to work, I realized I was watching a defining moment not only for myself, my generation, but for all generations, and those to come. From now on, I will work for Change.
Yesterday we pushed through to make a Change here in Indiana. Jason woke up at 4:00 am to monitor polls. I was out at the Obama HQ at 8:30 to start canvassing. Yes, I knocked on 50 doors, yes, I called over 75 phone numbers, and, yes, I helped get people to their correct polling locations and improve our candidate's visibility in Bloomington—but so did so many of my fellow volunteers. I believe that I and my fellow volunteers helped get those five votes per precinct that colored Indiana blue.
So, yes, my efforts paid off big time. I am proud to be a Hoosier. I am proud to be a Hoosier because of the fellow Hoosiers I met yesterday. When I showed up at the Obama office to get in line to check in for canvassing, an elderly gentleman, shaking and barely able to walk, came up to me and told me that he shakes too much to pin a button on his hat. So he handed me his hat and I pinned a “Veterans for Obama” button to his navy blue hat. Before I had the chance to talk to him he raised his voice a bit and said “Let’s F*ing do this!” before grabbing his canvassing packet and
Later that day, after canvassing and calling, I went with two lovely ladies to go get students to vote on the IU campus. One girl I was with was only sixteen years old, and she had been volunteering for the campaign for several weeks. Although unable to vote, she knew she needed to do something to engage her community, and she tried to get everyone she knew—and plenty she didn’t know—to get out there and vote for our guy. America is coming together.
Like our President-Elect said—we can’t rest on our laurels. We need to keep working. We need to work to reverse some of the perverse ballot measures that passed in many states, most notably California’s Proposition 8 and similar measures in Florida and Arkansas. Luckily we still have Massachusetts and Connecticut and a few more of us are elected officials. Gay marriage will be legal in this country soon. We need to be actively involved in helping this country resume its place as an example for the world, on this issue and many more. We need to work to get this country back on its feet, get its head in the right place, and get it progressing the way it should.
Finally, watching the Grant Park rally, with my sister and brother-in-law somewhere in the crowd among many of my friends and fellow Chicagoans, only one block from where I used to work, I realized I was watching a defining moment not only for myself, my generation, but for all generations, and those to come. From now on, I will work for Change.
posted by Marty at 9:02 AM
1 Comments:
Hey there Martin,
I've just stumbled across your blog, and like what I've seen so far. In fact, your list of cellar delights has me envious to some degree. On another note, I must say that I've not had much from Oliver that I've cared to boast about, or that -they- should, for that matter. It's quite unfortunate that I am not in Indiana for their primeur Foch; you appear to have good taste and it is a shame that I am unable to give it a tasting.
Although you are originally from Chicago - at least from what I gather - I would consider you to be a Hoosier. After all, can someone live in Limestone Country, Indiana and -not- call themself a Hoosier? Interesting question.
Anyway, I am a native-born Hoosier living in France. I've got my own wine blog, although its creation is only, and perhaps sadly, recent.
http://wineterroir.blogspot.com
I look forward to reading what comes next. Drop me a line.
Thanks.
Andrew
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