We cannot afford to be divided.
Partnership and cooperation (among nations) is not a choice. It is the only way, the one way (to protect our common security and advance our common humanity).
The greatest danger of all is to allow new walls to divide us from one another.
Now is the time to build new bridges across the globe.
This is the moment... We can stand with the vast majority of Muslims who reject the extremism that leads to hate instead of hope.
We have too much at stake to turn back now.
Renew the goal of a world without nuclear weapons. This is the moment tobeing the work of seeking the peace of a world without nuclear weapons.
This is the moment we must build on the wealth that open markets have created and share it's benefits more equitably. Trade has been a cornerstone of our growth and global development but we will not be able to sustain this growth if it favors the few and not the many. Together, we must force trade that truly rewards the work that creates wealth with meaningful protections for our people and our planet. This is the moment for trade that is free and fair for all.
This is the moment... To give our children back their future. To stand as one. When we must give hope to those left behind in a globalized world.
The world will watch and remember what we do here... with this moment. Will we extend our hand to the people in the forgotten corners of this world who yearn for lives marked by dignity and opportunity by security and justice?
Will we lift the child in Bangledish from poverty and shelter the refugee in Chad and banish the scurge of AIDS in our time? Will we stand for the human rights of the dissident in Burma, the blogger in Iran or the voter in Zimbabwae? Will we give meaning to the words, "Never again" in Darfur?
Will we reject torture and stand for the rule of law? Will we welcome immigrants from different land s and shun discrimination against those who don't look like us or worship like we do and keep the promise of equality and opportunity for all of our people?
People of the world, this is our moment. This is our time. Seek a more perfect world. What has always united us is a set of ideals that speak to aspirations shared by all people. It is in pursuit of these aspirations that we must make our mark on the world. We are heirs to a struggle for freedom. Let us remake the world once again.
Bold, brave, real solutions for all our kids. It is not OK that my kid will have his own laptop next year. The kids I work to advocate for, kids who are dependent's of the court, living and trying to learn in the war zones he speaks of can't afford to wait. We must do more.Video: Barack's Education Remarks in Thornton, CO
http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/stateupdates/gGB7GWThanks for letting me share. This is what I was looking for in a group. A place where I could express my enthusiasm with others who share it.
I have so much respect for him.
http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/samgrahamfelsen/gGB4ml
What an inspirational leader.
http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/HQblog/gGBmDl
I just listened to Obama's Wesleyan address again. If you haven't seen it yet, check it out.
Below are some of his words that were inspiring to me. I hope they are to you too.
He spoke of Service to One's Country.
I was born the year John F. Kennedy called a generation of Americans to ask their country what they could do. I came of age at a time they were did it. They were the Peace Corps Volunteers... Those who watched the Civil Rights Movement unfold on their television sets... who knew it was probably smarter and safer to stay home but decided to... take those freedom rides down south and still decided to march and because they did, they changed the world.
You are about to enter a world that makes it easier to get caught up in the notion that there are actually two different stories at work in our lives. The first is the story of our everyday cares and concerns... The second is the story of what happens in our country. What happens in a wider world...
It is a story that sometimes can seem separate and distant from our own. A destiny to be shaped by forces beyond our control. And yet the history of this nation tells us that isn't so. It tells us that we are a people whose destiny has never been written for us but by us. By generations young and old who have always believed their story and the American Story are not separate but shared...
There were many times where I wasn't sure where I was going or what I was going to do w/my life... I began to notice a world beyond myself... I was possessed w/this crazy idea that I was going to work at a grassroots level to bring about change...It wasn't easy but eventually, we made progress...
I also began to realize that I wasn't just helping other people. Through service, I found a community that embraced me, citizenship that was meaningful, the direction that I had been seeking. Through service, I discovered how my own improbable story fit in to the larger story of America.
Now each of you will have the chance to make your own discovery in the years to come... You won't have to take it. There's no community service requirement in the outside world. No one's forcing you to care. You can take your diploma... and chase after the big house and the nice suits and the other things that our money culture says you should buy. You can chose to narrow your concerns and live life in a way that tries to keep your story separate from America's. But I hope you don't.
Not because you have an obligation to those who are less fortunate; although, I do believe you have that obligation. Not because you have a debt to all those who helped you get to where you are today; although, I do believe you have that debt to pay. It's because you have an obligation to yourself.
Because, our individual salvation depends on collective salvation. Because thinking only about yourself, fulfilling your immediate wants and needs betrays a poverty of ambition. Because it's only when you hitch your wagon to something larger than yourself that you realize your true potential and discover the role that you will play in writing the next great chapter in the American Story.
There are so many ways to serve and so much that needs to be done... I ask you to seek these opportunities... because the future of this country... depends on it.
At a time when our security and our moral standing depends on winning the hearts and minds in the forgotten corridors of the world, we need more of you to serve abroad... Work side-by-side to take on the common challenges that confront all of humanity...
We need you to help lead a green revolution...
We need an army of you to become teachers and principals in schools that this nation can not afford to give up on...
We will need you...
We need more of you... to help rebuild... Volunteer in your own communities because there is more than enough work to go around... We need you to work for peace... We need you to work for opportunity... At a time of so much cynicism and so much doubt, we need you to make us believe again.
Believing that change is possible is not the same as being naive... Change will not come easily... It is hard to change attitudes...
Understand that should you take the path of service... Know that you will experience the occasional frustrations and the occasional failures. Even your successes will be marked by imperfections and unintended consequences... I hope you will remember during those times of doubt and frustration that there is nothing naive about your impulse to change the world. Because, all it takes is one act of service, one blow against injustice to send forth... that tiny ripple of hope. That's what changes the world, that one act...
He told a story of a man replied he'd chosen to volunteer for the Peace Corps because it was the first time someone had asked him to do something for his country. Barack said, I am asking you. If I should have the honor of serving this nation as president, I will be asking again and again in the coming years. Because, we may disagree... but I believe we that can be unified in service to a greater good.. .
We will face our share of cynics and doubters but we always have. He told a story of one man who told him, "You can't change the world and people won't appreciate you trying." He says, the man was wrong. He said, that man has not seen what I have seen...
This morning, in my in box, there was a message from the Barack Obama campaign asking me to share my thoughts for the future. I was honored and appreciate them asking. I know they asked all of us but that they are interested in hearing from everyone is what makes it so cool. After I hit submit, the following video played. I found it moving.
http://marymaddux.blogspot.com/2008/05/your-voice-can-change-world.html
Especially the part at the end where he says, "Your voice can change the world." Since I've been speaking up, trying lately, it meant a lot. I hope it inspires you too.
I appreciated being asked for my feedback by the Obama campaign today.
Here's how I answered the following questions:
Describe why you were moved to join the campaign:
I feel strongly that things have to change. I am greatly concerned by the disparity I see between the haves and the have nots. I like in Tiburon, CA. One of the wealthiest towns in the wealthiest counties in the wealthiest states in the wealthiest countries but I still go to the laundry mat and now only make $17.50 an hour. I have a college degree have made more than $50,000 annually in the past. I have a husband who makes over $70,000 w/o whom I couldn't work 30 hours a week as a child advocate. I spent 5 years struggling to meet the demands of my employer and to have enough left over to care for myself and my son. Despite all of my advantages, being from a white, middle-class family, I struggled and failed repeatedly. I couldn't have done it w/o help and support from others. There are many in much more desperate situations. We can't turn our back on people who are struggling, children living and dying in poverty. Fighting people we disagree w/only makes them hate us more in my view. I admire Barack's willingness to talk with leaders from other parts of the world, if we help them address their hopeless, frustration and desperation, maybe they will be less angry. I agree that there is an empathy deficit in this country and I want to turn that around.
Tell us about the best part of your volunteer experience, and also about what could be most improved:
The house meeting I attended was enjoyable, the hostess was welcoming, engaging, articulate and lovely as were most of the attendees. I wish I had more time to spend with them but it felt a bit like we were preaching to the choir. It was a big deal for me to take time out of my weekend, the leave my husband and child at home to go volunteer for Obama and at the end of the meeting, I felt I hadn't done anything. I did learn that I could give lots more time and that if I had money, I could buy materials, that I could make calls, etc. But I'd recently started work at an organization where we train and recruit people from the community to spend time w/kids who are dependents of the court, kids who sometimes have no one. I'd just agreed to be a volunteer advocate for a seven-year-old boy who lives in residential treatment and didn't have anyone visiting him. I figured if I was going to spend time on the weekends away from my family, volunteering, I should be actually doing something to address the issues I see in our society.What if 1% of Obama supporters agreed to be Court Appointed Special Advocates for children and every weekend, instead of making phone calls, were spending time with a youth who needed them - because it is the right thing to do and because they support Obama. Or what if they were beautifying cities, or visiting shut-ins, or raising money to find cures for diseases. Wouldn't that also support Obama? I have donated money to this campaign and feel it is the right thing to do. I am hopeful that if I can help Obama get elected, he will make more money available where it is needed but I would rather give directly where it is needed and have him win on principle, because he wants to do the right thing, his supporters are doing the right thing and leading by example. Thanks for asking supporters to consider donating to help victims of the recent disasters in Asia. That Obama supporters are giving to the Red Cross means more to me than that we are giving to an election campaign. Does that make any sense? Thanks so much for asking and considering.
And, I was moved by the video that played after I sent in my thoughts. I almost teared up when he said, "Your voice can change the world."
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I woke up this morning at 4am feeling rested enough to face the day. Seeing an opportunity to steal an hour or two for myself, I decided to get out of bed and get online. I thought I'd post photos of our recent trip to Yosemite or read up on the latest election news.Instead, another link caught my eye. It said, 10 million children worldwide die from lack of health care. I read the article and learned:
Use of existing, low-cost tools and knowledge could save more than 6 million of the 9.7 million children who die yearly from easily preventable or curable causes, the report said.
They include antibiotics that cost less than $0.30 to treat pneumonia, the top killer of children under 5, and oral rehydration therapy — a simple solution of salt, sugar and potassium — for diarrhea, the second top killer.
I am dismayed by the response to recent statements made by Barack Obama. Barack said some people in America are bitter. In my experience, he's right. Among other issues, many of us have watched communities flounder and children languish in poverty. These things don't seem right but we've felt powerless to change them. (photo credit)The politicians who scare me are the ones who want to pretend everything is fine. Denying people's righteous anger is frivolous and dangerous. It offends me and leads me to believe that they are the ones out of touch.I decided to write about a couple of issues that have made me bitter. In addition, I am hopeful. I am hopeful because we have a dynamic presidential candidate who is willing to acknowledge people's feelings of frustration and stand alongside them to come up with plans for a better world.
Rural AmericaI'm not from Pennsylvania but I grew up in rural Kansas; Columbus, Kansas specifically. Long before my family arrived, the once-thriving coal mining community had dried up and died. When I lived there, starting in kindergarten, our town of 3500 was the county seat. We were the poorest county in Kansas. (photo credit)
Still, I remember a quaint town square surrounding the county court house where my dad would go for city council meetings. My family shopped at the local, family-owned grocery store (Charlie's IGA). My mom visited Charlie and his employees nearly every day. My dad was friends with the man who owned the bank, the daughter of the man who owned the hardware store taught me how to swim. I went to school with the children of the people who owned the local clothing store and florist shop.
My brother and I we invited into the kitchen where we could make our own pizza at Turner’s Dairy Bell. When we were sick, after doctor's appointments, my mom would take us to Evan’s Drug Store where we could have a root beer float at the soda fountain while our prescriptions were filled.
At some point; however, we also started driving to the shopping mall in Joplin, Missouri. It seems we went almost every weekend. Eventually, Pizza Hut, Wal-Mart, McDonald’s and other national chains moved into my town and over time, most of the other businesses closed down. We weren't farmers but many from the community were and I know now that they were likely struggling.
When I was 17, my family moved to Newton, Iowa, a manufacturing town of 15,000 people whose livelihood centered on the fact that it was the home of the Maytag Corporation. As a high schooler, Maytag wasn't important to me. I did earn one of the full-ride scholarships they generously offered to kids from the community every year. When I was there, Maytag was known as a good place to work. Sam's grandfather worked there, as did three of his four brothers and some of their wives. Without college educations, they were able to support their families, buy homes and afford vacations to the lake with their boat or RV. (photo credit)
I don't know all of the specifics but I don't think Maytag operates much there anymore. They found cheaper labor and operating costs elsewhere. I can't imagine what has happened to all of the families left behind or all of the businesses that survived by providing goods and services to those families.
Once, I took a job representing farmers nation-wide. By my two years in that job, I spoke with individuals who were desperate, filled with panic (or bitterness) because they couldn't make a profit. I'd heard many of them tell me that the work I was doing wasn't helping, that the big corporate farms, companies like Smithfield, had made staying in business impossible for them.
I hadn't known what to do about these things I'd witnessed. While along near-empty country roads, between one state association and the next, I wondered what would happen to the people in rural America. It seemed to be becoming more and more a barren wasteland. In his book, Audacity of Hope, Barack talks about the struggle and plight of people from all walks of life. He has noticed, he is paying attention and better yet, he is offering solutions that could benefit us collectively.
I appreciate Barack Obama for paying attention and recognizing our pain (and bitterness). We are angry and he understands the reasons why. Denying the wrong that has been done and pretending everything is fine isn't going to fix anything.We need a leader who is brave enough to see the problems, offer real solutions and give us hope. Barack Obama cares and is in touch with the American people. He will be an amazing president.
Yes We Can to justice and equality. Yes We Can to opportunity and prosperity. Yes We Can heal this nation. Yes We Can repair this world.
Nothing is standing in the way of the power of millions of voices calling for change. We want change. I want change. There has never been anything false about hope. We will remember that there is something happening in America. We are one people. We are one nation.
Yes We Can.
I've written about Barack Obama and issues of importance to me on my personal blog on numerous occasions. Please visit www.marymaddux.blogspot.com or check out some of the links below, if you are interested. Thanks. Peace. Mary
http://marymaddux.blogspot.com/2008/04/why-im-bitter-and-appreciate-him.html
http://marymaddux.blogspot.com/2008/01/tonights-night-world-begins-again.html
http://marymaddux.blogspot.com/2008/01/congratulations.html
http://marymaddux.blogspot.com/2007/09/unite-again.html
http://marymaddux.blogspot.com/2007/06/be-empowered.html
http://marymaddux.blogspot.com/2007/06/what-inspires-you.html
http://marymaddux.blogspot.com/2007/01/shadows-hope.html
http://marymaddux.blogspot.com/2008/02/yes-we-can.html
http://marymaddux.blogspot.com/2008/02/fortunate-mistake.html
http://marymaddux.blogspot.com/2007/04/keep-child-alive.html
http://marymaddux.blogspot.com/2007/07/my-husband-took-me-to-london-this.html
