Greetings Friends and Supporters;
As a major financial supporter of this President as well as organizer of such events as the Utah for Obama Convention Party and the Official Election Night Celebration I find it difficult to write such blunt blog regarding the failure of our President to fullfill many of the promises he made during the campaign.
While President Obama has made many positive changes to Washington and the way our government serves her people, he has failed to deliver on a few vital issues.
In recent days, I have noticed the President waiver on his commitment to provide a public option for the American People. We were promised affordable healthcare for all Americans and our President appears to be lacking in his conviction to provide this.
In addition to failing to muster up the audacidy to cash in political capital and challenge the "party of no" the President has failed to address the issue "Don't Ask Don't Tell."
If the President fails to protect the public option and shys away from his responsibility to equality for all Americans I will actively finance, support, and work to elect leaders from a different party. While living to see Barack Obama become President of the United States was my proudest moment, especially after all the hard work, I refuse to stop in my demanding for equality and justice for all Americans. No leader who fails to provide basic rights and freedoms to their people deserves to remain in office.
I demand the change we worked so hard to obtain. We the people of Utah, and of these United States deserve more from our President. If he is unwilling to FIGHT for our rights we must rise up and demand them for ourselves.
Oh Captain My Captain... it is my sincere hope that you will fullfill the cause to which we have empowered you.
Sydney Rhees-
I am very upset with the choice of a homophobic, bigoted, fear mongering, preacher to say the prayer at the Inauguration. I feel that President-Elect Obama owes us a bit more respect than to allow someone who preaches such hatred to participate in this way. If this man taught hatred towards African Americans this would not even be a possibility. I am disappointed and call on our President-Elect to choose someone who is not a messenger of hate. With the recent passing of Prop 8, with overwhelming support of the African American community, I feel this could further drive animosity between the gay community and the African American community. So sad that at a moment of great progress in this nation we still find ourselves ok with discrimination and hate! Please encourage Barack to choose someone else. I am hoping that if the people who got him elected are outraged he might pay attention to our concerns!
Sydney Rhees
Utah for Obama Steering Committee
I am new to this group and look forward to working hard beside each of you in an effort to make sure history never forgets this was the time when we took back America.
I am in the early stages of planning a large election night event in SLC. Currently I am looking at possible venues, music, decor, political guests, and various other fun details. I would like to invite anyone intersted in planning this event to contact me.
I feel as if Salt Lake City needs an event like this to remind all those new voters and old-timers that this is an exciting historic moment. In the past we have been very large financial donors of the democratic party but this year the grassroots movement is the important part. I think there are enough democrats out there that are excited for this change that we should be able to provide a very large event and have most of the logistics and equitment donated.
So again, if you are intersted in being on a committee to organize this event please contact me via email. Sydney.Rhees@utah.edu . I look forward to planning an event that this city will never forget.
