Web site: http://www.istandwithandy.com
* * * * * PLEASE COME HELP ELECT ANDY in the Texas 19th District! * * * * *
I wrote the following letter of support on the White House site just now. Everybody please do something to help, small or large -- we really need to make this change!
And if you haven't viewed the video of the eulogy for Sen. Kennedy yet on the NYTimes or White House site, please do so.
Alan
Dear President Obama,
I am getting up early on the Sunday after your eulogy for Senator Kennedy to send this message. Thank you for your touching, careful and personal message of tribute to this great and humble man.
Last year, while normally a person of very moderate politics both in intensity and in terms of range along the spectrum, I took a week of vacation and time away from my family to travel to walk and work as a campaign worker in another state to get you elected. Your message of practical government that is informed by high ideals and works on behalf of people led me to do this.
I support this message and was willing then, as I and my family are now, to help you carry it out, and to see the changes that we elected you to perform come true. Many of these changes have taken place: you and the people working for you have shone light into dark practices of the previous administration and started steps to correct them, moved us closer to the original and true heart of the nation in terms of being one that is governed by laws and supervised, as transparently and closely as possible, by representatives who are accountable and who report in a proper way to the people.
You have moved in a variety of ways to bring us as a country into a better set of relationships with the governments of other nations and with science-based policies with respect to issues in which science impacts public policy. Now, with respect ot health care, I would like to urge you to act and to move strongly to achieve the change that we elected you to do, keeping in mind that the American people (including me) voted strongly to change the character and balance of Congress at the same time and for similar reasons.
We cannot let a set of actions by the opposing party interfere with this program of legislation, and we have already given up too much in pursuing what appears to be a fruitless and hopeless mirage of bi-partisan participation in this change. Those of good will in the opposite party are, in my opinion, too much captured by the extremist fringe of that party to let their practical better instincts emerge, and will not cooperate in pursuing and implementing the change that this nation needs.
I strongly urge you and your colleagues and fellow elected officials in the House of Representatives and in the Senate to pursue the change that this nation needs in terms of health care AND health insurance reform -- two topics that are closely related but are not the same -- and to pass and enact legislation of which the late and greatly missed Senator Kennedy would be proud. I do not often express myself on public policy, but believe that this change is important. We cannot let the equivalent of vandals who are now operating in the public forum to slow down or derail the achievement of this change.
With great respect and thanks,
Alan Sill, Ph.D
Lubbock, Texas
You may have seen my first blog entry athttp://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/alansill/gGgzYdI made this entry while volunteering last week as an out-of-state volunteer for the Obama campaign in Colorado. This was the quintessential volunteering experience for me -- I can't imagine it going better unless I had met Senator Obama or Senator Biden directly.I walked neighborhoods, learned to use the VoteBuilder system, made calls, did canvassing, and learned how to schedule volunteers and get them involved. I met many volunteers from Colorado and other states, and in response to my hard work throughout the week, got to go to a rally for Mark Udall (the Democratic candidate for US Senate there), where I met and got to talk to Robert Redford (really!) and to Governor
Ritter of Colorado.
Driving home, I passed through much "McCain country" and areas full of folks who think of themselves as Republicans. I couldn't help thinking of the good and decent people I had met who were committed to improving the country during the previous week. As I said in the blog entry above, there are many good and decent people living here also -- most of the people that I know, in fact -- but the alternative that presents the Democratic party and ideals as being just as central to the core of America, if not more, is not being represented here.We need to do something about this, and do it right away. If you picked up the Avalanche-Journal today and read the front page, it confirms that turnout is low among portions of our community who should feel empowered to vote, but who feel that their votes will be washed away in "Republican" West Texas. It doesn't have to be that way!! Having spent a solid week surrounded by and embedded within the exciting environment of the volunteer experience I described above, it seems to me that we can make calls, contact voters and encourage everyone we know to think seriously about their vote and to use it well.Please volunteer to help in some way -- a good place to start seems to be athttp://my.barackobama.com/page/content/actioncenterand encourage everyone you know to go out and vote and to make their voice heard. You can do this now!West Texas is full of good and decent people -- let's make the voice of those voting for Obama heard!Contact me for more info:806-790-7462 cell806-798-3105 homeAlan.Sill@sbcglobal.netAlan
Have been volunteering this past week in Colorado to help with its effort to become a swing state pulling for Obama. During the time I have been here, we have seen the lead of the Obama/Biden ticket grow by a factor of two from 4 points to 8 points in state-wide polling! Very exciting -- though I can't take any credit for this, of course.
We need to figure out how to do this in Lubbock County, and all of West Texas. The people who live there are by and large decent, hard-working people with a good amount of sense. If we can pull together over common issues, and direct and organize our efforts to good things that are healthy for the community, I'm sure we can grow the presence of the Democratic party back to where it should be among the fine folks who live in our community. Let's get started on this right away!
