My name is Rachel and I’m with the Obama for America Campaign here in Vermont.
I’ve said that many times in the last few days since I joined the campaign. I’ve said it on the phone while phone banking and I’ve said it when knocking on doors as we canvas neighborhoods trying to find supporters to get the vote out.
Every time I say it I feel proud. Proud of myself for helping out to make a difference. Proud of Obama for being the inspiration that he is. And proud, for the first time in a long time, of my country, the United States of America.
I’m tired of being cynical. I’m tired of apologizing for my government. And now instead of being tired I’m campaigning for Barack Obama because this is change I can believe in!
I have many reasons for signing up to do this, but none are more important than my two little daughters. I totally get what Michelle Obama is talking about when she talks about standing up for her children’s future.
My five year old wants to be an astronaut when she grows up and I don’t want her growing up wondering if we will be able to pay for the schooling she needs to reach her dream.
I don’t want to check my monthly budget every time I need to take my four year old to the doctor or dentist.
When my girls start school each fall in this amazing school district of Burlington Vermont I want those teachers to be inspired by their love of teaching and their student’s love of learning rather than dispirited by standardized test requirements and lack of financial support.
As my girls grow I want them to be able to explore the woods and waters of this beautiful state knowing that it will be here for their children and their children’s children to love and explore.
When they are grown and begin to travel to other places in this global village I want them to be proud of their country knowing that it works interdependently with nations around the world in order to make the earth a safe, just and healthy place for all of earth’s citizens.
And I want them to know that their mom took a stand to change the world so that when their day comes they will too.
Barack Obama is my inspiration because he knows it takes “millions of voices calling for change” to make that change happen.
We can’t do it without you. Together we can make this change. Change we can believe in. Change that will make our children proud. Sign up to help us get the word out.
Together we can!
Yes we can!
For the first time in America in a long long time, we see the future as someting bigger than ourselves, our hobbies, our addictions and our daily struggle to survive. There are other candidates running for this prestegious position, but none of the others can inspire our young people, me and you, to cast off our blinders and reach for the stars. It is time to shed the cynicism of yesterday and begin to create the future that will be ours and our childrens'. The time is now.
I believe in the change that Barack Obama is offering to the people of America because he has the wisdom and humility to know that he can't hand it to us, it is something that we must create together. I will vote for Obama in the Vermont primaries. I hope that you will vote for him in your own.
I am tired of being a cynic. I want change. I want my America back. I want to see this great nation become a place of hope again and I want to see us share it with the world. Vote for Obama.
Yes, we can!
