11.06.2008

::Wipes tear::

From the Manassas rally - 11/3/08. Pictures blatantly stolen from here.




BTW, I guarantee, both those kids, now lifelong Democrats.

11.05.2008

Signed, Sealed, Delivered



YES WE DID! YES WE DID! YES WE DID! YES WE DID! YES WE DID!


Oh, and excuse me ghost of Ronnie Raygun, I'll take that: It's morning again in America.

11.04.2008

Tonight.

I fully expect that by 10pm I will be crying like a child. Like a happy, hopeful, proud child. Someone recently asked me why this means so much to me, well, I'll tell ya. From a very young age my parents taught me that it matters who makes, upholds and interprets the laws of this country. Some of my earliest memories are of listening to my father talk about evil Tricky Dick (Richard Nixon). Obviously, they were/are liberal hippies.

And the things they taught me then were: Never judge people by the way they look. Always help others in need. Always root for the underdog. Don't fight (I admit that I have amended this one to: Only fight in self defense or in the defense of others, stop when the threat is gone, try to be conciliatory afterwards). Don't take more than you can use. Humans are not the only things on the planet, animals and plants are important too and deserve respect. Don't steal. Always try to imagine how things look and feel from the other person's point of view. Try to do things on your own but don't be afraid to ask for help. Try to include everyone.

Extrapolate any of those things out into essays on what government should be responsible for or the role of America in the world or what should welfare mean and they still work for me. I could probably come up with more and some of the things listed here I tend to forget or ignore but for the most part this is what my worldview could be boiled down to.

From what I've seen, from legislation passed to issues debated to methods of governance the Republican party is antithetical to most of the values listed above. And then to realize that almost 70% of my life has been spent with a Republican president in office. That I came of age during the Reagan years, REAGAN, I didn't think it was possible to detest a president more until W. That I have seen 1 very possibly 2 elections stolen. That I have seen the writ of habeas corpus, the constitution, freedom of speech come under direct attack from our own government. That I have seen America become a practitioner of torture. That I have seen the government actually fail to respond to a national disaster. That our nation continues to become divided into the super rich and the debtor poor and our economy has been brought to its knees in order to maintain that division. That all of these things, in my mind, derive specifically from Republican rule.

Yeah, this election means a lot to me and it should mean a lot to everyone else. We are actually on the verge of electing someone who embodies the ideals that make America exceptional. So, yeah, I will be crying tonight. For the return of hope. For the return of the helping hand of America. For the restoration our reputation as the arbiter of the world. For rebirth of the belief of I am my brothers keeper. For the return of an individual and collective sense of responsibility.

Some videos to help you through the waiting:


Feels good

It has been a while since i've been able to vote for a winner!

This message was sent using the Picture and Video Messaging service from Verizon Wireless!

To learn how you can snap pictures and capture videos with your wireless phone visit www.verizonwireless.com/picture.

To play video messages sent to email, QuickTime� 6.5 or higher is required. Visit www.apple.com/quicktime/download to download the free player or upgrade your existing QuickTime� Player. Note: During the download process when asked to choose an installation type (Minimum, Recommended or Custom), select Minimum for faster download.

11.03.2008

On Obama's grandmother passing

Very sad, it means his victory tomorrow will be tempered with...I can't think of the right word, seriousness, thoughtfulness...

This comment:
Regardless of the outcome of the election, it is a big deal. I interrupted my class to tell them of the sad news of Obama’s grandmother passing. I said that on the eve of what may be his great achievement, he does not have his mom, his dad nor his grandmother or grandfather. One student put it in perspective. “Yes, “she said, “but he has us…”
Comment by Daddio - November 3, 2008 at 5:17 pm

from this WSJ article made me tear up a bit. We're all in this together now.