A new record for turnout. Over 35,000 people turned out to see Barack Obama speak in Independence Park. That is an amazing number considering how much time the candidates have spent in PA and all the coverage they have gotten.
PHOTOS
This is truly a movement for CHANGE.
Many people have decided to stop being complacent and accepting as a matter of course the way politics "works" in the past few decades.
The microscopic focus on every nuance of how words are spoken, the sound bit "phone it in" media coverage, the distorting of positions and the "say anything" 90s style politics has been a disgraceful example of what is worst about of political apathy.
Barack Obama represents and truly believes in a real deviation from this type of campaigning. What amazes me is how absolutely consistent he has been between his book that was written years ago and the words he speaks today. He has not changed his tune when he was down in the polls. He has not said that things would be easy. You see a new political philosophy that is taking strong root. It is represented by those 35,000 at Independence Park and countless other records setting events.
Barack has inspired me, not by telling me HE can save the World, but by telling me that I MUST save the world. For the past many years I have looked on and complained at what was going on around me. Thinking, "How could this happen in this great country? How could our leaders let things get so bad?" What I did not realize was that voting is just the first step in making real change. You must then be informed, then show up, then take action and make your voice heard. Not just at the ballet box, but by starting a blog, sending a letter, donating some money, showing up in the public gallery, sitting on a committee, running for office and more, more, more.
You have to do what you can, not what is easy. Watching the news dribble and the spectacle should not serve to pacify you, it should be inspiration to turn off the TV and go sign up for something.
This is what Barack Obama means to me. This is my chance to put action behind the words. My chance to show my children what it means to take back our country. What it truly means to be a democracy and why America is the greatest country in the World.
Please reach deep in your heart, look in your soul. You know this is the way it should be. The way it was supposed to be all along. Let us get Barack Obama to the White House, let's get off our asses and make this happen. For the love of our country, the love of communities, the love of neighbors and the love of our children.
We can change the World... YES WE CAN!
1 comment:
James:
While in agreement with what you wrote in this post, I would like to add something. While many of us should serve on a committee, run for office, etc., not everyone has to do that to be a part of changing the world. I understand there are many that don't have the motivation to be quite that involved. But what we ALL have to do is to practice what we preach; put our words into action. If we want to improve the environment, we must start to conserve, reuse, recycle. How many people do you know complaining about Global Warming then driving half a mile to the store in an SUV? Or spending $2500 on a nice vacation while their homes have no insulation? Or carelessly through away recyclable materials because they don't have the convenience of curbside recycling, and don't care to drive to the nearest recycling center? There are so many things we can do to protect our environment, but we would rather sit back, complain a little about government doing nothing, while we do nothing ourselves. Or how about working harder towards Universal Healthcare? Or ending the Iraq War? Or funding public education? Or providing opportunities for people who need them? Or accepting people of different races, religions, sexual orientation? The list of what we complain about goes on and on, but the things we do everyday to help work towards those goals often stops with the rhetoric.
I support Barack Obama not only because of his political platform (after all, Senator Clinton's PLATFORM is hardly different), but because he seems to me the best candidate to work towards putting words into action; doing what is right over what is going to be politically helpful at the time. Standing by his principles despite their standing in the polls. And telling the truth, not parts of it just to accomplish a short term goal.
Thanks for reading. For more, visit www.thethirtyyearitch.blogspot.com
George.
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