I think this campaign has infused innovation into the minds of many Americans simply from the prolific discussions that overflow with both positive and negative perspectives...but, in the spirit of unity, we have developed an enhanced ability to ‘hear’ opposing opinions and observations while we yet acknowledge their significance. The following portion of an email submission and the subsequent rebuttal from one of our group members is just such a situation.
I sent an email to local Obama Supporters, who may not be familiar with Tim Wise, and suggested they might want look him up...because his crusade and passion for fighting racism is powerful and awesome! Me, feeling that "Knowledge is Power!", shared both his article and a video that posted on YouTube, which he said was a response for those who still "can't grasp the concept of white privilege, or who are constantly looking for some easy-to-understand examples." The first example on his list was: “White privilege is when you can get pregnant at seventeen, like Bristol Palin; and everyone is quick to insist that your life and that of your family is a personal matter; and that no one has a right to judge you or your parents, because every family has challenges, even as black and Latino families with similar 'challenges' are regularly typified as irresponsible, pathological and arbiters of social decay”.
See his video (and others) on this subject: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3Xe1kX7Wsc
Ms. Peanut said she objected “to this email. I happen to know that pregnant at 17 is pregnant at 17 -- and white or not, all of the negative connotations go with that. Please do not drive divisions between us.”
And, of course I apologized to her in so much as she was offended by this email and suggested that it is the controversy we are confronted with daily especially in this election year. Certainly, Mr. Wise's position is not intended to “drive a wedge between us” but to initiate the dialogue we absolutely must have if we are ever to get past these issues that are frequently used as divisive tools. I prayed that at some point Ms. Peanut could hear what Mr. Wise is actually saying...and, yes it is very difficult to hear and/or acknowledge but it is what some in our country are saying and what others in our country are trying to work through.
In Ms. Peanut’s final response, she said “Believe me, I am not responding because I am offended. I deeply believe that we -- you and I -- are united. We cannot be true followers of the policies and philosophies of Barack Obama and not be united by many common truths. You have done a beautiful job of working for Barack Obama's cause. I am so grateful to you for your leadership in Barack Obama's campaign. (deleted identifying information) so, I support our cause with donations to Barack's campaign. However, I still want to reach out and stand up for my cause, for Barack's cause, of unity.
In that light, I am firmly stating the position that, especially in the conservative south, that a pregnant teen at 17 is viewed with all the same negative connotations. There is no movement in the white communities in my experience to normalize that, Sarah Palin notwithstanding; indeed, we are lucky they don't try to stone the young women. I know this from very personal experience. Our difference is not with whites; it is with the conservative base, the fundamentalists on the right who believe that their fundamentalist views are right for and must be forced upon everyone through government.
Barack Obama said we should focus on the issues we have in common, that deeply affect and binds us all. He reminds us that we are one American people and we must solve together the problem of preventing all unwanted teen pregnancies, without regard to which shade of brown the woman is or what her income level is. That is the issue we should focus on.
We will drive away some white voters we need with divisive issues like the email you sent out. This is not the time to push any special interest agenda, no matter how vital or just it is. Your audience is as diverse as the crowds that Barack gathers. Please consider that Obama is the gatherer and the unifier of all types of voters: Republicans, Democrats, blue-collar, professional, Latinos, African Americans, Caucasians (and I formally reject the notion that "white" or "Caucasian" even exists except as a label that some people wish to cling to. I teach my children that there are no blacks and whites, only beautiful shades of brown). I believe he will belong to the world and to the ages, not just a few groups. His message is touching the lives of people even beyond America's borders. People around the world are hungry for unity. Look at the crowd he gathered in Berlin.
I grew up in the 60's. I remember when Dr. King was killed. After having spent part of my youth as a white person (a label put on me, not one I chose) in an all-Black school when I came to realize at a very young age that we are all brothers and sisters, I devoted my life to unity. I do not tolerate any inappropriate behavior, words, or thoughts from myself, or my children concerning race or any other perceived differences among people. The people in my life know to "never go there" regarding disrespect for any self-identified group of people. I choose to disassociate from those who promote hate-language of any type. Still, I despaired that there would ever be a way out of this mess of disunity we had created for ourselves. Then Barack Obama arrived on the scene, the great unifier who gave us hope that we can pull together as one people. That is the real hope he offers, that for once in our existence, we can empower ourselves to truly pull together as one people to do what all the powers in Washington cannot or have not done.
We cannot afford to lose one vote right now. Barack Obama is the right person with the right message, the right mission, the right wisdom, and the right abilities to lead our nation in the right direction for all Americans and to inspire the world to respond to its "better angels". The race for the Whitehouse is too close. It would be a dreadful, unthinkable shame to lose the promise of a Barack Obama presidency because we took our eyes off the prize. I wish you love, peace, and joy”
I don’t know if I agree with Ms. Peanut’s entire position, but I respect her right to say it and will give it much thought in the coming days.
What’s your spin? I would love to hear your comments.
Loveable
Read other writings: http://www.timwise.org/
Want to make a difference in this election? Want to be a part of History? Then come to Indiana and help us turn the Hoosier state blue for the first time in 44 years. The race here in Indiana is close. It’s going to take a lot of hard work to deliver our 11 electoral votes for Barack Obama on November 4th, but with your help, we can do just that and help put Barack Obama in the White House. We are neighbors. We share common values. We are facing challenges because of the failed Bush economic policies and we all share a common desire for change.
Go to http://in.barackobama.com/cometoindiana to signup
OR Can’t make the trip but want to help? Make calls from home at
my.barackobama.com and select the call Indiana campaign on your dashboard
Bobby Kennedy gave a remarkable prediction back in 1968· Tim Russert used this is this week's "Meet The Press"· Pretty interesting huh???
Ted-------------------------------------------------------------------------------Attorney General Robert F· Kennedy told the world that the United States - despite Alabama violence - is moving so fast in race relations a Negro could be President in 40 years·"There's no question about it," the Attorney General said· "In the next 40 years a Negro can achieve the same position that my brother has·" Kennedy said that prejudice exists and probably will continue to exist ··· "But we have tried to make progress and we are making progress· ··· We are not going to accept the status quo·"
Just for a moment I hope you will take in the historic importance of last night's primaries. It has been over 200 years in the making. We shown ourselves, our country and indeed the the entire world that race does not matter anymore. We have finally joined the 21st century and I am proud to be an American. Yes, I'll say it, for the first time in my life I'm proud to be an American.
Seventeen months ago people were laughing at us. "Never" they thought. This country is hungry for change, we deserve it and Barack Obama has delivered us to a great place. I have to be honest, last night I cried. This is and again I stress the point, a huge ground-breaking historic event. The world was stunned, they never thought that we would let an African-American in this country become the Democratic nominee for the Presidency of the United States of America.
To each of you I say thank you, thank you, thank you; we did it. This was the first election in history where we actually changed and shaped it's outcome. Social networking pages such as Myspace, facebook and websites and blogs such as these have enabled us to take this all the way to November. We are in a great place, a quantam leap forward from where we were even yesterday. Spread the word, spread the joy and share the hope.
Yes We Can... Yes We Did... Yes We Will!!
Ted Tucker
I am happy to say, I was selected as the delegate from Caldwell County to represent our Senator Obama in Lexington on June 7.
I am so looking forward to the event, and wanted to share my happiness with you!
...and on we go...
Theresa Furtney-Hibbs
I am beyond upset with yesterday's election. Do you people realize that we are now OFFICIALLY the laughing stock of the country. We are the butt of all racist remarks across this land and it makes me sick. I have never in my life been more ashamed of my state than I am right now. All across CNN and other news channels, they're telling the world that Kentucky is not an affluent society nor are we educated. And the sad thing is, they are ABSOLUTELY right. Kentucky wants to party like it's 1899, so you know what? GO FOR IT. Knock yourself out and have a great time. Let's continue to let the world think that we are a bunch of inbred, rednecks, not wearing shoes and sleeping with our cousins... that's a great image to have. Let's let the world know that we can't think for ourselves, that we rely on the way things have been taught for so long and that part of these "learned behaviors" even come from our churches. Let's let the world know how STUPID we are!!! I am fed up with this mentality, I am fed up with Southern thinking, I am fed up with REDNECKS and I am FED UP WITH THIS "GREAT" STATE. To hell with it all!!!
Thank God for Oregon!!!!
Ted
Muhlenberg for Obama
Mary won't take no for an answer.
One of the many ways Mary helps the Obama campaign is by calling ministers in Kentucky and encouraging them to endorse Barack. When one hung up on her, she called right back and told him she had to go see him. She headed over, and by the end of the meeting not only had landed his endorsement, but had him telling his congregation on Sunday how important it was for them to vote for Barack.
A self-proclaimed "grandmama for Obama," Mary was called three weeks ago by another volunteer in the campaign and asked to volunteer. She immediately agreed, and has since become a tireless volunteer and a precinct leader in Louisville. Perhaps what's most remarkable is that Mary hasn't always been involved in the political process: at the age of 59, she's a first-time voter.
"I felt [politicians] couldn't touch me," Mary explains. "But something about Barack Obama inspires me. He explains things to me and works for me. He's the real deal."
Besides going to churches and calling ministers, Mary canvasses, recruits volunteers, and makes phone calls: on her day off this week from her part-time job working in child counseling, she made 92 phone calls.
Mary wishes she could help even more. "I love it! I wish I could do it all day, every day," Mary says. "I think he's wonderful and special." She says there is nothing like "seeing everyone so excited and enthused."
We don't all have the energy of this extraordinary grandma, but we can all help in our own way. For the next three days, local volunteers like Mary will be going door to door to help Get Out the Vote throughout Kentucky. No matter where you are, you can help right now by making calls to undecided voters in Kentucky. The Kentucky calling campaign runs until 9:00 PM EDT tonight.
Having witnessed from close range the stunning effectiveness of the Republican machine at shaving just enough votes in key places in many recent campaign cycles, the Clintons set out to use their hard-won savvy. Arguably comfortable with their data and their sense of how the trends would develop they set out confidently atop a well-tuned campaign machine with a distinctive message implicit in the Senator's campaign for the nomination. It ran something along the lines: The Republican old boy network can't attack the patriotism of a female U.S. Senator who voted to support Bush's Iraq mission.
Yes, it would take work. Still, the country was in a mood to reverse course, the political pendulum was swinging back, and the attacks that had been launched during President Clinton's term in office had cemented Hillary's celebrity, as demonstrated by her success running for the Senate in a "new" home state. Now, having carefully orchestrated her voting record and honed her campaigning and rhetorical skills in the interim, (and make no mistake about it, the skill-set needed to campaign effectively is distinct from what's needed to actually be President,) the Senator Clinton could take back the White House. The Clintons are campaigning with the Rove tactical toolset, targeting whatever gives them leverage within specific groups to shave a few points off their opponent(s) in carefully selected spots, trying to apply just enough pressure to energize specific voters, while the Obama vision of "strength through unity" dictates reliance on an appeal to selflessness, turning on voters who have not been engaged, and a reliance on the intelligence of the voters to consider the issues we must confront, like it or not.
Spotlight on Sound-bites
And now, as Andrew Sullivan has been documenting insightfully for months, those differences are being tested, and the soundness of the forecasts has come to dominate the limelight. The Obama message, which critics have derided via sound-bites combat, is at once both complex and simple, and judging by recent history that's a real gamble. Why craft policy papers and present your stand on the issues in nuanced ways? Simple talking points are what has won elections, after all.
Why? Because Obama has faith in Americans. He has worked alongside the men and women who did not complete college. He understands that it's not indicative of their intelligence, that there are brilliant thinkers scattered throughout rural and urban areas of the U.S., that it's possible to talk to people who have had different opportunities without deprecating their wisdom. In other words, he knows that data-analysis and statistics which refer to groups of voters inevitably diminish the richness of those individuals.
Senator Clinton has recently suggested, for example, that other journalists refer to an Associated Press story including, "how whites in both states who had not completed college were supporting me." Most of those 'uneducated' white voters are capable of hearing the underlying text, and being insulted at the implication that their support is linked to their educational level in a sort of class-based oppression that's familiar to them, but not welcome. Visit any Union hall, or construction site, and you will find that most know who among their "peers" is conversant with the subtleties of any major issue, that there are on-site pundits without college degrees who garner more respect than most of the talking heads and media experts. No, not everybody agrees with them, the differences are present, but that's just the point: differences ARE present, and Senator Clinton arrogantly lumps all of them together as though none will notice.
Obama's experience
Senator Obama, having spent more time in the last 35 years associating with less-educated people, respects the diversity and intelligence of the people he has met. He knows college and grad school afforded him opportunities denied many who don't get that experience, and that while it's not unusual for folks to gravitate to the familiar it's foolish to underestimate individuals based solely, for instance, on their level of education. Sullivan cites an event filled with predominantly black donors and activists, when Obama recounted how a supporter greeted him at the anniversary of Martin Luther King's march on Selma."That was a great celebration of African-American history," the supporter said.
To which Obama immediately responded: "No, no, no, no, no. That was not a great celebration of African-American history. That was a celebration of American history."
Barack Obama's vision of a country increasingly united can be likened to the recognition that while copper is a soft metal which can become brittle, and zinc is also brittle, mixing them yields: brass (which is stronger than either separately) - or that while hydrogen and oxygen are prone to combustion, they can be combined into something entirely different that can even be used to quench fire. Each element has a purpose and place of its own, yet alloys have yielded some of the most interesting, durable, and useful discoveries in human history.
What will the voters believe in?
So, we watch the man who seeks to restore our strength by creating an alloy of people test his vision of unity against the proven tactics of divide and conquer. He trusts the voters to think, to act for the good of the whole, to respond in ways that resonate with patriotism that once rallied the nation to put a man on the moon. Can Obama's demonstrated regard for the value of individuals result in the unified strength of his vision? Time will tell; but there can be no doubt now that the country and the world will be well-served by any and all who prefer creating synergistic coalitions over isolation, ruinous conflicts that squander both lives and resources, or self-serving personal agendas.
DIGG it!
I went to see Barack at his Louisville rally. It was amazing. It was inspiring. Did I mention it was amazing and inspiring? For those of you not familiar with downtown Louisville, I will attempt to paint a picture for you. The convention center probably takes up a good two city blocks. I tried to park at the Hyatt but the lot was full so I made my way to the Marriott and parked there.
The doors were not supposed to open until 5:00 PM. Senator Obama was scheduled to speak at 7:00 PM. I was there at 4:00 PM and the line already stretched from the entrance to the convention center, around the corner, around the convention center, past the Marriott, past the Hyatt, past the convention center itself. It was amazing. The weather was perfect, the crowd was energetic and everything was well organzized. I was as excited as a kid at Christmas.
Once inside, I signed in and we made our way up the escalator to a packed foyer where there was yet another line. This was the security checkpoint. The only problem here was once we were at the top and safely off the escalator, the volunteer staff had not been monitoring closely enough the number of people going up. No one could move and people were still on the escalator trying to get off. People were literally balancing themselves on the rails on either side. It could have been disastrous. Finally, they shut them down and the crowd was able to move about safely.
Inside the exhibit hall where Barack was going to be speaking the crowd was energetic and ready for something amazing. By my estimate (though this is only an estimate) I would say they had between 10 and 12,000 people in a standing room only atmosphere. The fire marshal actually turned away roughly 2,000 people still waiting to get inside.
Kentucky congressman, Ben Chandler spoke and then an employee from the Ford Motor Plant spoke. He announced that he would soon be laid off as well as thousands of other local workers for Ford. Then, he introduced Barack. It took about three minutes or so from the time of his introduction to the time that Barack actually made it to the podium. It was electric. He was gracious, warm and excited. He spoke approximately 41 minutes on topics ranging from healthcare to economic reform, to fuel costs. He covered everything. He even made a joke about being Dick Cheney's cousin.
It was an amazing evening. Once we made it back to our car and got out of the parking garage and onto the street, the police blocked the road. I thought they were going to let other traffic through but no one was coming. It was then that a parade of cars, police cars, secret service came whizzing by. Instantly, everone began honking, waving, looking out their windows and sun roofs. His motorcade went right by us. He too was smiling and waving. If someone had been there and not known that Senator Obama had just spoke, they would have thought that everyone had either lost thier minds or that this was this rudest place in America to drive because you couldn't hear ANYTHING but horns, horns and more horns!!!
Here's a link to the video of the event:
http://www.wave3.com/global/video/popup/pop_playerLaunch.asp?vt1=v&clipFormat=flv&clipId1=2479561&at1=News&h1=RAW:
Enjoy,
A physical construct begins to morph from the clouds of sound bytes and vocalizations that whirl above and about the stage of the Clinton Obama drama. Ted Kennedy comes out earlier and indicates that there is no way that Hilary will be offered the Vice Presidency by Obama. Stenopholous continues to push hard with respective insider knowledge of what Hilary will or will not do. And he says point blank that she will accept the nomination if it is offered. Meanwhile, quiet rumblings are heard about monetary accommodations being discussed for the retirement of Hilary's campaign debt from proceeds of Obama's richly available funds.
What is real and what is not? Ted Kennedy can talk until he is blue in the face (usually his face is a nice pleasing alcohol red) but does he have special knowledge or is it only talk? Stenopholous. Now there is a strange child-prodigy beast indeed. Does he have special knowledge or is he sipping from Ted's ever present cocktail glass? And the discussions about finance. Can one campaign's funds even be considered for use in paying off another candidate's debt?
But, at the very least, the talk is all about Hilary's exit, and there is some considerable comfort in that.
The Vice-Presidency can be turned into an office where there is no power alloted whatever, unless the Senate is tied in a vote dilemma. But who could ever count on keeping the double-mint twins of Bill and Hilary from constantly flapping their loud, skewed and incessant mouths shut? So we wait. We chew on short finger nails. We leave the computer and television for tea. We come back and wait some more.
We know that our system provides little in the way of complete comfort and even less of rational logic.
We wait and worry a bit.
Whew! It would appear that Obama has it. The nomination, I mean. Now, is he going to 'pipe her aboard' as the Vice President? If it is up to him, I don't think so. But the party is extremely powerful with respect to such decisions. And, I don't think anybody would argue that the one single thing that would immediately heal and seal the party back together is just such a combined ticket. A virtual nightmare scenario for John McCain.
Now, where do we Obmaites apply ourselves? The get out the voter movement, yes. This wonderfully creative website was maybe the best thing Obama's people constructed for him. It has been a great pleasure to participate in the 'game' of points as well as enjoy the ease of navigation on this site. I wish it was tied in to a very accurate and steady news line, but you can't have everything.
Now, we move on to November. And its going to be a working pleasure every step of the way!
The ultimate goal of a capitalist is to have and hold a monopoly. While a true capitalist has a monopoly it is his/her mission to charge as much for his/her product as the market will possibly bear, without respect for comfort or survival on anybody's part but his/her own. This is why we simply must have governmental regulations. You see the regulations not only protect the people who need things like oil, gas, and water but they protect the capitalist from being too greedy and then having such greed cost him/or her life itself. Because that is what usually happens with monopoly uncontrolled. We have this problem today. You can watch it happening with gasoline. And then there is the quality issues involved with trade. I bought two pairs of Levi's three months ago. By the end of the second month the material was so degraded that I could literally tear it with my fingers. That has never happened in my life. I went online to discover that the material now comes from India. Johnson and Johnson dental floss used to be so tough it was legend for use on things, other than teeth. Now you can buy a pack of it, pull some out and break it with your hands. Never before. The material is coming from Vietnam. My Mach III blades used to last two weeks, shaving every day. Now they last four days if I am lucky. I don't know where the blades are coming from but I am willing to bet that it is China. My Ralph Lauren Polo shirts don't fit anymore. They are made all over the world. They are too short, too thin or just badly shaped, but remain highly priced. So what is going on? You know what is going on. Capitalism without strict rules, agreements and oversight is not captitalism. It is controlled legal theft.
With the incredible night we had in North Carolina and Indiana, many people are saying Hillary is over, finished, done, outta here... blah blah blah. I think she is too but let's not let up. We need to keep fighting like we have all along. Our friends in West Virginia will vote Tuesday, then next Tuesday it's up to us here in Kentucky and our friends in Oregon. Most people agree that we CANNOT win West Vriginia and Kentucky... they are Clinton strongholds. YES WE CAN!!! We need your help though. Volunteer in your area. Make phone calls, go door to door, tell your friends, tell your neighbors, tell your church groups, hand out fliers... whatever it takes. Let's just make this happen. Here's a thought to the fact that we can't win West Virginia and Kentucky... Maybe just maybe, the fact that the media, political figures, advisors, bloggers, the Pope, Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny etc are telling her it's time to call it quits--that can actually help us. People will not want to vote for a "loser" Likewise, Hillary supporters may think "what's the use of voting" and not show up. Republicans CANNOT vote in this (Kentucky's) primary so they CANNOT vote for Hillary in the Limbaugh Effect.
So come on people, let's show em that Kentucky chooses HOPE!!!
The pins and needles of patient concern and the waiting. I do not bite my fingernails. I tend to grouse around and go to the basement and assemble some more nonsense electronic or electrical components. I watched Charlie Gibson on ABC, a few minutes ago. Stenopholous was on with him and I can't stand that guy. He is so very Hilary and cunningly subtle about it. When he was interviewed by Charlie he managed to get in the fact that the people really supporting Obama in NC are black. And that the white working class are favoring Hilary. He did this with no results in yet, so as to influence the same. He also brought up Wright again, just to gauge the potential damage, of course. What a crock. It was to get Wright and his ridiculous message out there one more time before the polls close. I never met Stenopholous when I worked for those people in D.C. He was always touted as the brilliant child prodigy. Like Sununu. Probably, like Sununu, he was clever enough, but more connected than clever. Hilary, our female chicken hawk, is of the same ilk. She represents the new 'working class' by never working a day in her life. She does not even have to carry her own bag. The Secret Service Servants, as they should be called, who provide 'security' for her, carry her luggage, and cook, and answer the phone, and so on and on and on. Please God, let her go away.
Hilary stomps across Indiana trying to make believe she is some sort of reincarnated Marine Corps hero of old. Chesty Puller has nothing on the ramped up raging queen. What is this? Once more toughness being portrayed as aggressive attack posturing. She sounds and acts just like Dick Cheney, another chickenhawk. Like Bush early on during his administration, before the public decided that he is the weak-kneed little bad boy that he is. It is sad to watch her campaign and I wish the whole thing would end, for her as well as the rest of us. And then there is Bill. Meanwhile, our man Obama remains rather quiet, maybe spending a lot of time on the phone with the Right Reverend Wright. Has anybody been named so oxymoronically lately? How about the Reverend Wrong? By occupying that guy Obama might keep him from talking (and performing ridiculously!) in front of the media. Can we be presented by more self-serving behavior during this campaign? How about McCain, while nobody is looking, being opposed to the new Veteran's G.I. bill? What is that? Of course, nobody is recalling that McCain also opposed any kind of active pursuit of the remaining prisoners of war in Vietnam. We need to pay attention to what this doddering old fool is saying and doing. Hopefully, the concentration of energy and attention will shift after today.
