I went down to my state reps (Sue Myrick's R-NC) office to drop off a flyer with my comments about the need for health care reform. Felt pretty good. This is the first time that I have personally visited a politician's office about anything. I am good for calling though. They don't make that office easy to get to. Its like they are hiding. No sign out front. I thought maybe I'd gotten the address wrong. It was tucked away in a small office suite down a dark lonely corridor of this big office building in South Park. Then I had to be buzzed in after flashing my most nonthreatening smile for the surveillance videocamera. I noticed when the assistant took my flyer that she added it to a folder with a bunch more OFA flyers. Yeah people, we are making an impact! If you haven't done a "drop in" like this yet definitely give it a try. I was inspired by the memory of an uninsured friend who died unnecessarily from a treatable illness because he tried to "tough it out" at home rather than fall into debt his young family couldn't afford. I also want to change the way that doctors decide what kind of treatment they will offer based on what is cheapest for the insurance company. I've had this happen. This dentist kept telling me that the bare bones treatment he'd already provided was all that he could do for me. I'd just have to deal with some residual pain. Here's the catch: I'd had the same problem before, and an honest dentist hooked me up, so I new what worked and what to ask for. So this new dentist just scowled at me dismissively and said "your insurance won't cover that" What? Did I ask you what my insurance would cover or did I ask for effective treatment, you #$%*&^ pig! What I learned that day is that there is a class system within the healthcare establishment. You are offered a certain class of care based on what you are covered for. Its like flying first class versus flying coach. If you have "coach" coverage, you'll never know how cushy the people on the other side have it. So many of my friends have shared similar stories, particularly around prescription drugs. If you don't have premium coverage, and few of us do these days with our jobs watering our healthcare plans down every year, you get the oldest, possibly least efficacious drug. I've seen this first hand at one of my jobs "No, we can't give her Prozac, her insurance will only cover imipramine (an old drug with more side effects and less effectiveness - but cheap as hell because no one buys it anymore)". So many people are scared to support President Obama's health care reform. However, if they actually knew the truth about how unfair the status quo was, they would not feel so safe sticking with what they know. They are actually sticking with what they think they know, lulled into ignorance and inaction.
It is cold and flu season in many parts of the world and I am definitely coming down with something. I am at home today nursing my stomach and throat with various remedies and I am leaving in a little bit to get a massage. I put my heart and soul into the campaign stage of the movement and, as I am sure many of you did, I sacrificed self care a little bit in the process. The little bit that I sacrificed doesn't even compare to the legions of full time staffers in field offices, many of whom told me that they were putting in 100 hour weeks. Now that we have won this battle, I am feeling the effects of this long fight. I imagine many of you are as well. Everyone I talk to is sharing about how much they cried, and laughed, and shouted on election night. We are going through a tremendous spiritual, emotional, and physical event. Some of us are acknowledging to a fuller extent the stress and strain that the oppressive Bush regime has caused our families and communities. Given that we can take a breather now, I encourage each of you to really care for yourselves and boost your immune system in preparation for the work ahead. I was so encouraged to hear that on the day after the election President Elect Obama went to work out at the gym. Good for him! Let us pray for the health and safety of his family as well as for the health of all of us who embody Hope around the globe. Now go take your vitamins!
I want to give some love to all the Obama supporters in states like LA, MS, AK, ND, and AL who worked tirelessly on the campaign while knowing that the odds of turning their state "blue" were against them. Thanks for seeing the big picture and realizing that your work benefits the future of the movement. Here in NC we tried so hard to turn the state blue. We ended up with 50/50 - but that is a step in the right direction! What we have accomplished with this election was only possible because we stand on the shoulders of those who fought before us. We recognize that some of the fruits of our labor will ripen later than others. Thank you for the audacity of your hope. May God bless you.
I know that many people are as tired of traditional campaign adds as I am. Watching both Obama and McCain show more good natured, humorous sides at the roast the other day was so healing for me. As I consider whether to max out my contribution to the campaign, I wonder how the money would be spent. You know what I'd like to see? Commercials that embody the movement, adds that show the diversity and good will and passion of Obamacans. I think that people would respond well to seeing an empowered citizenry who is on the ground and running, ready to make American stronger and more harmonious. With the amount of advertising Obama has here in battleground NC, I am beginning to feel saturated. What I see on TV and what I feel when I am at our local headquarters doesn't connect for me. Our movement is kind, determined, generous, and breaks down barriers. Our adds are looking too much like the other guy's for me right now. Now that President Obama has acheived threshold in terms of appearing presidential and sweeping the debates, I think the time has come to embody hope. The movement foreshadows the impact of Obama's presidency. For example, who will do a better job on foreign affairs? The adoration of enormous crowds during President Obama's overseas visits illustrates the solid alliances that we could depend on in an Obama administration. People all over the world recognize the impact that his presidency would have. Here at home, who will do a better job with the budget? Just compare the management of the two campaigns: Obama has succeeded in recordbreaking contributions because of his ability to insire people. In his administration, we'll see this inspiration translate into recordbreaking percentages of people getting involved in charitable giving and volunteerism. Besides raising money, the Obama campaign can stretch a dollar until it screams for mercy. Contributions go so much further because of all the people willing to house campaign workers, show up to headquarters with their laptops and cellphones, and even donate their frequent flier miles. When I volunteered tonight I enjoyed a full catered dinner and dessert courtesy of a group of volunteers. So I decided to "pay it forward" by leaving a restaurant gift card for them to use on another day. This is business as usual at our campaign office. You feel the love. That's what our advertising should be showing. Hope in action. Community. Working together on what matters.
We in the South are known for civiity and don't honk our car horns much. But, there is nothing like driving around with "Obama" written on my back windshield in foot high letters and enjoying friendly honks and waves from fellow Obamacans. I notice that whenever I proudly wear my Obama gear people smile more, talk to me more, and offer encouragement. I was at Discovery Place museum with my niece and nephew today and made all kinds of new friends. If you are not rocking the gear, get with the program. Its fun. Everywhere I've gone this summer - Chicago, New Jersey, New York, and Raleigh - I've seen Obama posters and bumper stickers. I can count the McCain stuff that I've seen on one hand. But - we can do better! I am working on inspiring my friends to show their spirit and I'm getting car magnets for everyone in my family. Maybe for my 85 year old dad I'll get a yard sign instead. He drives so slowly that he pisses people off and I wouldn't want that to be associated with the campaign. Fellow Obamacans - I am challenging you to get five of your family and friends to start rocking the gear. We have so much to be proud of. Not only that, given the historic nature of this campaign, Obama items are going to be highly collectible all over the world. You saw what happened in Europe! So think ahead and stock up.
While I am delighted that McCain's choice of Palin guarantees a diverse White House regardless of who wins, and Palin seems like a a nice enough lady and a spitfire who will draw media attention to his lackluster campaign, I am skeptical about his motives for choosing her. Why would a guy who has an undeniably high risk of dying while in office pick a first term congressperson to be his backup plan for America? It doesn't connect for me until I recall my older son's early days in Little League. Terrified about his chances at bat, he would lean into the path of the ball, get hit, and be walked to first base accompanied by the cheers of sympathetic onlookers ( FYI, My son's ball magnet days are over. He went on to be a lineman at a Big Ten school). I think McCain is handicapping himself so that when he crashes and burns, history will at least continue to portray him as a risk taker and he'll get some feminist props. More importantly, he'll enjoy the benefit of the doubt about whether his stale, toxic politics, questionable morals, and flaccid personality were the cause of his demise. My only regret is that he is going to take this lady down with him. Paris Hilton would have made as rational a choice. What's next from McCain? Maybe he'll bite off a hunk of Barack's ear during the next debate, like Mike Tyson did to Holyfield when his title was threatened after his jail stint.
So far the highlight of the convention for me has been Michelle's speech and Joe Biden's speech. Both made me tear up a little. I was wary of Hillary's presentation at first because I'd been reading commentary about how she might use the convention more for her own future campaign purposes than to support President Obama. Maybe I was reading too much into it, but her choice to wear orange, a color wheel contrast to Obama purple, seemed to be symbolic. I know I'll get some heat for that opinion, but I call it as I see it. I also think that she spent more time celebrating her own career than building momentum for Obama, but in the end she was solid. After hearing the perspectives of other commentators about the importance of celebrating Hillary's accomplishments (and the film was admittedly very moving and well done) and the appropriateness of bringing closure to her campaign and acknowledgement to her supporters, I calmed down. Maybe her true intent was to drum up donors for her campaign debt moreso than to upstage Barack. Did anyone see any shenanigans by the PUMA (party unity my ass) group on the convention floor? All I saw was someone holding their "Unity" sign upside down during Hillary's speech. That is hard to do accidentally considering one side has a stick and the other doesn't. Oh well. Finally, I was a little concerned that the kiss between Jill Biden and Barack after she welcomed him onstage looked like a full on kiss. Maybe I was hallucinating or maybe it was just one of those accidents that happen sometimes when two people kiss socially but their aim is off. Happened to me and my brother in law last month and it was no big deal. I didn't watch President Clinton's speech. I can always catch it on youtube. It is so great for me to see my seven year old son showing interest in the convention. He is a huge Obama fan and although he senses racial differences, he doesn't have much of a sense of the history of racial politics in America. So, I am hopeful that one day he will remember this and recognize the significance. Maybe I'll videotape our family reacting to the convention tomorrow as a personal momento of where we all were and what we were feeling on this occasion.
I survived my Unite for Change event! I say survived because I am not a natural hostess. I get way too anxious. Luckily, one of my neighbors - who I now can say is a good friend - came early, helped me set up, stayed the whole time, and helped me straighten up afterwards. Everyone needs someone like that. What a sweetie! Thanks Fabienne! I had a "lemonade on my front porch" event for my neighborhood. We ended up on the front lawn so that we'd have more room, and my wonderful husband set up a canopy and extra seating for us. People brought baked goods, lemons, and buttons. Some of them I didn't even know before. It felt good. There was mostly sharing about the things that mattered to us on a personal level - family, parenting, etc. I tried to get a few Obama comments in, but I was preaching to the choir - everyone at my event was for him already. They were well informed. It was nice to know where some of my neighbors stand. Not everyone puts a sign out on their lawn, you know? My event was small, but any event that ends with hugs and new friends is a success. Hosting the event gave me a better understanding of the movement. It was an illustration for me of President Obama's statement about getting people to change their personal boundaries and build relationships with their neighbors. the key to this movement is having people feel like they belong. That's happening. After the event my husband and I were pretty tired and I said "whew, I'll never do that again!" But here it is a couple of days after and I'm thinking "hmmm...maybe a house meeting" :)
Some random updates: I stopped by the restaurant to check in on Anastasia from my "Equal Pay for Equal Work" blog entry, but they closed early at 4pm. I tapped on the window to try to get her attention, but she was in the back laughing with the cutie pie cook and had her back turned to me. So, I'll try again in a couple of days.
Also, I messaged "Number One" on MyBo today. You know how we all get points for logging, blogging, and other actions? Well, "Number One" (that's not her name - she goes by Patty and she's from South Carolina) is in first place and has more than forty two thousand points. You go girl! She had commented on my last blog and when I messaged her back I checked out her profile and I flipped when I saw that she was number one. No way! I feel like I met a celebrity. I'd love to know what the heck she's doing to rack up all those points. If she tells me I'll pass it on.
I've noticed that one small change that I have made since joining the Obama movement is that I watch less TV. I spend my spare time here on MyBO. From couch potato to political activist. Has anyone else noticed this?
This event is just for my neighborhood, but I wanted to share the format of the invitation with you in case anyone is looking for a Unite for Change theme. The front of the invitation has a picture of a planter box on my porch railing full of red, white, and blue flowers. The planter is adorned with American flags and letters that spell out UNITY. If anyone knows how to add images to the blog, let me know in the comments section. I'd like to post images like some of the other bloggers and I don't know how.
Please join me for old fashioned lemonade on my front porch on Saturday, June 28th, 2008, from 2-4 p.m. On this day, myself and millions of other Americans are observing “Unite for Change” by gathering with their neighbors in an expression of their hope and love for this country. This event brings people of all walks of life and political views together. Although this event was conceived of by Obama for America, I promise that their will be no fanfare, flyers, pressure, or request for donations. There will be real lemonade, and a warm welcome. Stay for five minutes or the whole time, if you like. No one knows for sure who will be the President-Elect next November. Maybe it will be the candidate that I believe in. Maybe it will be the other guy. But next November, same as right now, I will know one thing for sure - The kind of neighbor that I would like to be to you: A good one.
Hey everyone, I set up the following online activity as a community service event for my zip code and I would like to encourage others to do the same. You get 15 points added to your MyBo score for hosting an event and for this one all you do is cut and paste the information below into an event invitation under the Events section of your MyBo dashboard. Attendees do the rest online.
This is a cool, painless, and enlightening action that you can take without even leaving your computer. I assign this experience to my students every semester and they get really excited about it. Here's what you do: visit http://www.tolerance.org/hidden_bias/index.html and click on "Project Implicit Website" to try an activity that will teach you about the kinds of bias or stereotypes that you have been exposed to in your life. Here's why you should try it: Negative stereotypes pollute our social environment the way second hand smoke pollutes the air. No matter how compassionate and open minded we are, we are all exposed to stereotypes. We can no sooner avoid all stereotypes than we can avoid second hand smoke by holding our breath. It effects us. Saying "But I'm not prejudiced!" is like saying "but I don't smoke!" - your subconscious is affected by the stereotypes that you have been exposed to - just like your lungs are affected by secondhand smoke that you are exposed to. If you could, wouldn't you want the chance to "air out" your psyche and let go of any stereotypes that have polluted your subconscious? Well, you can! Taking an "IAT" by following the link above will give you the chance to find out what's polluting your psyche (and we all have something, trust me, I've taken various versions of this test several times). Because I have a Ph.D. in psychology, I feel confident when I say that this simple, online, completely free experience is the real deal. Lots of positive Change opportunities for very little effort. If you're intrigued by what you learn about yourself, Tolerance.org will help you take the next step in replacing stereotypes with Hope! Try it! There is always something new at this site, and they even have IATs for the presidential candidates! It is a must-have experience!
