Get a Facebook account and search Pierce County for Change in Groups. Everyone is welcome :-).
Register at Find Event
We are in the midst of setting up County.CAN groups under Washington.CAN and want to make sure everyone on MyBO takes a moment and registers. We will be sending out a post as soon as we are completed so that you can begin planning in your county and set up similar meetings on February 7th. If you are in or around King County please consider attending this meeting:
Event Name: CAN Group Organizing Meeting
January 17, 2009
After two months of making and changing plans, I am ready to attend the Inaugural Ceremonies, however, subject to change at any time. From planning a day trip to Washington DC, to what is now a four day stay, I am excited and humbled about witnessing one of the most historic events in America, the inauguration of the 44th President of the United States of America,
Barack Obama.
My journey since February 2007 has been incredibly inspiring and an action packed experience. The lifetime friends I have made and the places in America where I have campaigned for change, as in Alaska and New Mexico, has so enriched my life, forever.
Some of the unexpected highlights that happened during these two months include being given a ticket to the Inaugural Ceremonies by Senator
Marie Cantwell (I retrieved the message from my cell phone on Christmas Eve), getting a ticket to one of the official Inaugural Balls at the last minute (I had to find a party dress for this), and this morning, signing up for the White House Open House, I am stunned. If Barack Obama did not open the doors of Democracy and if it were not for my many friends who think of me when they receive information about upcoming opportunities, I would have none of these privileges.
I am so proud of Barack Obama. His message is genuine and his actions are consistent. He has a natural ability to lead and an extraordinary instinct to inspire others to action for causes that contribute to society. As I celebrate this once in a lifetime event with millions of others, I salute America who carries the banner of liberty and justice for all.
Wooo-Hoooo! We did it! What a night! Myself and hundreds more gathered in a conference room at one of our local Red Lion hotels. Sponsored by the Spokane County Democrats, we had two large screen TVs tuned in to CNN to watch the results as they came in, and excellent finger food. With each state's results, we whooped for Obama -- and went wild when he was announced our next President.
Our Washington state Governor's race is close again, but I'll wait till tomorrow to check on that one. Governor Gregoire, our Democrat incumbent, is a staunch Obama supporter, and I don't doubt for a minute that she would help him as President in any way she could if she gets re-elected. Like Obama, she's an excellent speaker.
If this site stays up, I'll post a couple more blogs tomorrow -- one on this campaign "journey" (from the owner of a healing arts center called "Inner Journeys", no less!) and one of thanks for all those I've come in contact with through working in my small way for our next President of the United States.
YES.WE.DID, and yes, we will continue,
To all, a VERY GOOD NIGHT!
Susan
Since Alaska, my travels have taken me to Washington, Arizona and back to Washington where I am this Monday, November 3rd, 2008. During my travels, having the BarackObama.com site makes it easy to jump on-line, when I can, and make phone calls nationwide as part of the campaign nationl call team. Also, some of the Washington campaign call teams supply me with call lists...it's all good!
The internet radio show that a friend of mine and I started during the Democratic National Convention has continued, too. Although, call-ins are few, the show is fun and informative when there have been featured guests, i.e. from Wasilla, Anchorage, El Paso and Spokane. Tomorrow may be my final show for this election cycle.
It has been an incredible journey as a volunteer with the Barack Obama campaign. I have met incredibly dedicated people every place I have gone. The hope for a stronger and better democracy is what each of us wants for our country, it's what drives us to work at the grassroots level in ways we never imagined.
One of the most significant parts of this campaign for me, up to now, was Wednesday evening at the convention in Denver, when I signed my name on the ballot for Senator Barack Obama as the democratic nominee for President of the United States and when Senator Hillary Clinton pushed through a crowd of people to get to her podium, then asked for the nomination of of Barack Obama by acclaimation, it was seconded and voted on...that moment was full of emotion. Finally, the vote for which the precint, legislative and congressional district delegates had sent me was cast and all the hard work during the primary was rewarded.
Then, Invesco Field. Exhausted by Thursday of the convention, to have the privilege of sitting in the third row from center stage, I was overwhelmed with disbelief and humility. Watching the expressions on Senator Obama's face and hearing the roar of 70,000 supporters as he delivered his message of hope to the nation....I still cant' get over it!
My fellow Washington National Delegates made my experience complete. The caliber and diversity of individuals who made up the delegation was a source of pride for me. I will cherish my handbook of delegate biographies.
So, tonight, I as I reminisce, I hope for tomorrow's future that will be sealed by millions of precious votes.
Hope in Spokane, Washington
Last week and this week myself and a few other fun-loving Obama supporters braved chilly yet beautiful Fall early AM temperatures to place ourselves at various intersections on the South Hill and wave signs for Obama.
Our retinue has included Mary's two children and my two dogs (Bonnie and Bubba for Barack, thanks to those who voted back in June). The dogs wear red bandanas with white Obama stickers on them. Bonnie got very involved the first time we went, matching my "Woo hoo's" with her own Husky howl: "woo-woo-woo-woo-woo".
Things we've learned: the west side of the Hill seems to be bright blue. The further east one goes, the more the lines appear less distinct. My attempting to wave at the corner of 3rd and Freya for people accessing I-90 East was met with very little enthusiasm, and the first shout out a pick-up window of something "not nice". But hey, you keep smiling, give them a thumbs-up and wish them a great day. To me, that's what inclusion is all about. And remember, if they're headed to Idaho, well, I think we all know what color that state is....
Anyone interested in joining us next Monday, 11/3 at the corner of 3rd and Washington? We usually gather around 7:30 to wave during the morning rush hour. Watch for an event listing under "events in my area" on your profile page. Last one got posted the day before, so keep the faith. Bring a sign (or we have a couple extras), something hot to drink and bundle up. If it's a challenge for you to get going in the mornings, come join us -- our enthusiasm will wake you up!
So far none of us have seen anyone out waving signs for McCain/Palin -- so let's show everyone where the momentum lies in this Presidential election.
GOBAMA in Spokane!
Sad news for tree-lovers. I had put two Obama yard signs in our yard, along with a yard sign for the WA State Democratic Governor, Christine Gregoire, who is running again for governor this year. Sometime during the night of Oct. 14th, not only were our yard signs taken, but our young tree in front of one of them was hacked and fatally wounded.
I was prepared for stolen yard signs, but not for harm to an innocent tree. The tree wasn’t voting for Obama – and even if it were, that doesn’t mean its life had to be taken. I am very saddened by this cruel act. I had decided to make a donation to Obama in memory of the tree. Today I realized that there may be other tree-lovers and Obama supporters out there who would also want to commemorate our sapling with a donation to Obama’s campaign.
Therefore, the fundraiser on my Obama profile page. I will match the first $200 donated. This gives me the opportunity to make the donation I had planned to, as well as use this act by “those ones” to help our candidate even more!
YES.WE.CAN move beyond hate and ignorance!
Last night I attended a Ballot Party here in Dayton. It was a pleasant wine and cheese. It was especially great to see so many people I know who do a lot for the community. The cross section was impressive for a town as small as Dayton. We had a decent crowd re[presenting the young and old, the white and brown. I met some new people, hugged some old friends, and talked about some community issues with stakeholders. It's been good during this campaign to see Rep. Bill Grant spending time on the campaign circuit and being social. Over all it was good to get out last night.
Last Thursday I attended a presentation by Christine Chavez, grand daughter of the late great Cesar Chavez. She addressed the importance of education in the lives of our youth, she recalled memories of growing up in an activist family, and she stated her unyielding support for Barack Obama. Ms. Chavez stated her reason for undying support of Obama, and it's mjuch like my own, he has inspired soooo many people to become involved in the political process after 8 years of apathy. She talked to the young women and girls after her talk, and even talked about her bad dog, Boycott.
During this time of important campaigning, I encourage all of you to put on your buttons and get out into your community to do things you would enjoy doing. Show your support and represent the positive change that will come with a change of regime. This is how we change people's minds. Carry voter registration forms with you this week, and register as many people as you can. Deliver the forms to the elections office if you can't give the poeple stamps. Don't let this fall and wonder what more you could have done.
Currently, I am in Anchorage, Alaska and have been here for the past 4 weeks. My husband has a temporary job in Anchorage, so during the day I volunteer with the local Obama Campaign for Change.
After the Democratic National Convention in Denver, I passed through Washington on my way to Anchorage. My memories still so fresh of the excitement and historic convention. I am Fired UP! Ready to GO!
The campaign office is busy with volunteers writing postcards to voters out-of-state, making buttons for local use and meeting other Obama supporters who share their stories and enthusiasm for Senators Obama and Biden. Supporters who work in the Alaskan oil fields, Republicans who will vote democratic for the first time, moms with babies, seventeen year old students who feel the urgency of changing our country now...it's inspiring for me.
When I first arrived, the office was staffed with several Obama organizers some whom have since been assigned to new offices in swing states for the the rest of the campaign season. The nomination of the Alaskan governor changed the landscape of the election and caused the uprising of many Obama supporters to action. A rare political rally was organized and another is scheduled for October and debate watch parties are scheduled.
Meanwhile, Washington supporters are helping with a yard sign project that will suppy voters in Wasilla, AK. A partial shipment arrived yesterday and when the rest arrive, I and a couple other Alaskans, will deliver the signs to Wasilla supporters...it's gonna be fun!!!!
Hope in Alaska!
The following article may be too much to stomach for some who are not familiar with white privilege, and in Palin's case there are socioecenomic factors as well. But give it a read. Original article can be found at http://www.redroom.com/blog/tim-wise/this-your-nation-white-privilege
September 13, 2008, 2:01 pm
By Tim Wise
For those who still can’t grasp the concept of white privilege, or who are constantly looking for some easy-to-understand examples of it, perhaps this list will help.
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.
White privilege is when you can call yourself a “fuckin’ redneck,” like Bristol Palin’s boyfriend does, and talk about how if anyone messes with you, you'll “kick their fuckin' ass,” and talk about how you like to “shoot shit” for fun, and still be viewed as a responsible, all-American boy (and a great son-in-law to be) rather than a thug.
White privilege is when you can attend four different colleges in six years like Sarah Palin did (one of which you basically failed out of, then returned to after making up some coursework at a community college), and no one questions your intelligence or commitment to achievement, whereas a person of color who did this would be viewed as unfit for college, and probably someone who only got in in the first place because of affirmative action.
White privilege is when you can claim that being mayor of a town smaller than most medium-sized colleges, and then Governor of a state with about the same number of people as the lower fifth of the island of Manhattan, makes you ready to potentially be president, and people don’t all piss on themselves with laughter, while being a black U.S. Senator, two-term state Senator, and constitutional law scholar, means you’re “untested.”
White privilege is being able to say that you support the words “under God” in the pledge of allegiance because “if it was good enough for the founding fathers, it’s good enough for me,” and not be immediately disqualified from holding office--since, after all, the pledge was written in the late 1800s and the “under God” part wasn’t added until the 1950s--while believing that reading accused criminals and terrorists their rights (because, ya know, the Constitution, which you used to teach at a prestigious law school requires it), is a dangerous and silly idea only supported by mushy liberals.
White privilege is being able to be a gun enthusiast and not make people immediately scared of you.
White privilege is being able to have a husband who was a member of an extremist political party that wants your state to secede from the Union, and whose motto was “Alaska first,” and no one questions your patriotism or that of your family, while if you're black and your spouse merely fails to come to a 9/11 memorial so she can be home with her kids on the first day of school, people immediately think she’s being disrespectful.
White privilege is being able to make fun of community organizers and the work they do--like, among other things, fight for the right of women to vote, or for civil rights, or the 8-hour workday, or an end to child labor--and people think you’re being pithy and tough, but if you merely question the experience of a small town mayor and 18-month governor with no foreign policy expertise beyond a class she took in college--you’re somehow being mean, or even sexist.
White privilege is being able to convince white women who don’t even agree with you on any substantive issue to vote for you and your running mate anyway, because all of a sudden your presence on the ticket has inspired confidence in these same white women, and made them give your party a “second look.”
White privilege is being able to fire people who didn’t support your political campaigns and not be accused of abusing your power or being a typical politician who engages in favoritism, while being black and merely knowing some folks from the old-line political machines in Chicago means you must be corrupt.
White privilege is being able to attend churches over the years whose pastors say that people who voted for John Kerry or merely criticize George W. Bush are going to hell, and that the U.S. is an explicitly Christian nation and the job of Christians is to bring Christian theological principles into government, and who bring in speakers who say the conflict in the Middle East is God’s punishment on Jews for rejecting Jesus, and everyone can still think you’re just a good church-going Christian, but if you’re black and friends with a black pastor who has noted (as have Colin Powell and the U.S. Department of Defense) that terrorist attacks are often the result of U.S. foreign policy and who talks about the history of racism and its effect on black people, you’re an extremist who probably hates America.
White privilege is not knowing what the Bush Doctrine is when asked by a reporter, and then people get angry at the reporter for asking you such a “trick question,” while being black and merely refusing to give one-word answers to the queries of Bill O’Reilly means you’re dodging the question, or trying to seem overly intellectual and nuanced.
White privilege is being able to claim your experience as a POW has anything at all to do with your fitness for president, while being black and experiencing racism is, as Sarah Palin has referred to it a “light” burden.
And finally, white privilege is the only thing that could possibly allow someone to become president when he has voted with George W. Bush 90 percent of the time, even as unemployment is skyrocketing, people are losing their homes, inflation is rising, and the U.S. is increasingly isolated from world opinion, just because white voters aren’t sure about that whole “change” thing. Ya know, it’s just too vague and ill-defined, unlike, say, four more years of the same, which is very concrete and certain…
White privilege is, in short, the problem.
On the anniversary of the Jena Six demonstration let us seriously contemplate race relations in the United States. Let us as individuals be mindful of the degrees and layers of privilege we enjoy. And let us use this anniversary as a date that we remember that the fight against racism and all other "isms" is something we need to be engaged in every day.
I lived in the South this time last year, and race relations are stuck in some sort of time warp it seems. We are not faced with that nearly as much up here in the northwest, but wherever you are there's more to do. Hopefully having a Black President will help that time warp loosen it's hold on peoples' minds. Hopefully even the South will begin to mix n mingle. All those kids in the juvenile justice system. Kids like Martin Lee Anderson who never had a chance, who died while at a Florida Boot Camp, can begin to dream of life beyond the poverty stricken black neighborhoods of the Panhandle.
I guess I feel that there is so much at stake in this election. And while people are schmoozing it up in pantsuits and party dresses, make sure you take note of how many layers of privilege you enjoy.
this article can be found at Jena Six Anniversary http://www.blackvoices.com/blogs/2008/09/18/jena-6-six-anniversary/
Posted Sep 18th 2008 6:00AM by Carmen Dixon Filed under: BlackSpin, Jena Six, Black History 365, News
Jena Six Case
A year ago, rallies in support of the Jena Six were held in Jena, La., and elsewhere in the US. The Sept. 20, 2007, marches were a reaction to the racially-charged case involving attempted murder charges filed against six black teens for a schoolyard fight. The altercation was sparked by a noose being hung from a tree at the school by white students.
Last year, on September 20, 2007, the small town of Jena, which sits 220 miles north of New Orleans, became the setting for one of the largest civil rights demonstrations since the Million Man March. Although the estimates of exactly how many marched in the town of 3,000, police estimate 20,000 college students, religious leaders, civil rights activists, their allies, and national and international media made their way to Jena to protest "selective justice."
More Coverage: The Jena 6 - Where Are They Now?
From Howard Witt, Special Correspondent to The Chicago Tribune:
JENA, La. - There is no single leader. There is no agreed schedule. Organizers aren't even certain where everyone is supposed to gather, let alone use the restroom. The only thing that is known for sure is that thousands of protesters are boarding buses at churches, colleges and community centers across the country this week, headed for this tiny dot on the map of central Louisiana.
Some months earlier, the case of six black teenagers had caught the attention of reporter Howard Witt at the Chicago Tribune and The Observer/UK's Guardian; and in turn their stories caught the attention of a new kind of black activist blogger and their digital allies. All of a sudden, blogs jumped to the forefront as a way for important information to the black community to be passed along and acted upon. It was bloggers and their supportive, outspoken readers who ensured that the mainstream media and established Civil Rights stalwarts would not be allowed to ignore a case so rife with controversy and abuse of power. The Afrosphere was born. It was an unequivocal signal that America's civil rights movement would have a powerful digital component from here on out. From Howard Witt:
As formidable as it is amorphous, this new African-American blogosphere, which scarcely even existed a year ago, now comprises hundreds of interlinked blogs and tens of the thousands of followers who within a matter of a few weeks collected 220,000 petition signatures-and more than $130,000 in donations for legal fees-in support of six black Jena teenagers who are being prosecuted on felony battery charges for beating a white student.
These days, bloggers occupy a passing lane on the information highway and it seems completely expected. Candidates and political parties court digital coverage as much as they seek that of mainstream media. But it wasn't always so. Just think about how different things were just one year ago. Jena 6 - Where Are they Now? Jesse Ray Beard The youngest defendant in the Jena Six case, he was 14 at the time of the events, is using his share of money donated for defense attorneys to attend Canterbury School in New Milford, Conn., a private boarding school with a focus on college preparation. He is a junior this year. Following probation, Beard left Jena to live with an attorney in Westchester, New York where he thrived in the new, more structured environment. Robert Bailey Robert Bailey was the young man first assaulted by other attendees of a predominately white party on December 1, 2006. Many saw that attack as an accelerant to the tensions connected with the assault that would later occur on Justin Barker – although Justin Barker had nothing to do with Bailey's assault. When the police arrived, Bailey and his black classmate were told to "go back to your side of town." Bailey later caused an uproar when he put pictures of himself covered in and eating money, presumably money donated by average people all over the world to help pay legal costs, up on his MySpace page. According to his coach, he has gotten his act together and now attends high school at Shaw High School in Columbus, Georgia, where he has been granted an extra year's eligibility to play football. Mychal Bell Bell is the only member of the 'Jena 6' to stand trial. Bell pleaded guilty to juvenile charges of second-degree battery in December and is expected to testify against other members of the 'Jena 6' in upcoming trials. Bell admitted that he did in fact assault Justin Barker while speaking to CNN in August. He was denied a chance to play his senior year of high school football in August at Carroll High School in Monroe, La. Bell missed his last year of football eligibility because he was in jail. Carwin Jones Jones and Bryant R. Purvis helped present the Video of the Year award on Black Entertainment Television's Hip-Hop Awards during the October awards show. His charges were reduced at his arraignment to aggravated second-degree battery and conspiracy to commit the same. Jones was arrested May 10, 2008, and charged with misdemeanor battery in connection with a fight that involved baseball bats. Jones said he has been constantly targeted and intimidated at his new school and that the incident that day "hit a nerve" and he reacted. Bryant Purvis Purvis now lives in Carrollton, Texas and was arrested on February 7, 2008 for an assault causing bodily injury on a fellow high school student. Police say Purvis walked up to another student from behind, grabbed his neck with one hand, choked him and pushed his head into a bench. Theo Shaw Last spring, Shaw was 2 credits away from earning his high school diploma. Both Malcolm Shaw, Theo's brother who police did not initially name as an attacker in the case, and Theo have now been named in the civil suit by Justin Barker's family. Justin Barker According to USA Today, Barker and his family have filed a civil lawsuit against the 'Jena 6' parents, the adult teens, an additional student and the local school board. Justin Barker and his parents, David and Kelli, allege in the suit that seven Jena High School students attacked Justin on Dec. 4, 2006, as he left the school gym. The suit names the attackers as the "Jena Six" students - Bell, Bryant Purvis, Robert Bailey Jr., Carwin Jones, Theo Shaw and a juvenile - as well as a second juvenile. District Attorney Reed Walters The D.A. who first charged the Jena 6 recently made an appeal in the removal a judge in the "Jena Six" case. Walters objected to the removal of the Judge J.P. Mauffray Jr. who admitted to using questionable remarks in the case, including calling the teens "troublemakers" and "a violent bunch." March Noose Instigator Jeremiah Munsen, a Louisiana teenager who hung nooses off the back of his truck to intimidate Jena Six demonstrators is serving four months in prison for interfering with the march. He was initially charged with "inciting a riot." What do you think a year later?
Well i picked up my Obama/Biden button a couple weeks ago and i pretty religiously wear it everywhere I go, even poking holes in my finer duds. This little button elicits so many smiles in my travels. Currently underemployed, I spend a great deal of time in the WorkSource office in Walla Walla. I am talking to other people like me, who have little or no work, who can barely afford to get to the unemployment office because of the cost of gas. Real people. Everyday people. But many of them see my button and smile.
Of course Dayton being red-necky as it is I have gotten a, "What does that say? Oh, I thought it said Obama bin Laden!" But I can be in the Doctor's office and hear the doctor tell me of her 7 year old nephew who says, "Obama is MY president!" Or I get people who ask me where they can register to vote. I believe I will just go get some voter registration forms to carry around in my bag actually. Also people want to know where they can get one of these nifty little buttons.
Well I had to pay a buck for mine at the Democratic headquarters, and for another buck I got my friend a Latinos for Obama button. MoveOn.com has been moving really slow on delivering my "free" button, so I did take matters into my own hands. I encourage every democrat to wear something even if a non-partisan button that says 'vote or pay' or 'vote or die.' I got a little bit of money today and as much as I want to go to the movies, I think I will buy an Obama T-Shirt instead. Represent yourself, represent change!
Well, the first letter I wrote was too long. So here's the next try....
PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Former Rhode Island Republican Sen. Lincoln Chafee has called vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin a "cocky wacko" and said her selection as John McCain's running mate has energized supporters of Democrat Barack Obama.
Chafee left the Republican Party last year after losing his bid for re-election and now supports Obama. He told an audience Tuesday at the New America Foundation in Washington that the Alaska governor has revived a "lackluster McCain candidacy."
"They've just thrown this firestorm, this tornado, into the whole presidential election," Chafee said in response to an audience member's question about whether the Obama campaign should worry about Palin's presence in the race.
He said her speech at the Republican National Convention had the unintended effect of energizing Democrats and Obama supporters.
"People were coming into my office, phone calls were flooding in, e-mails were coming in, 'I just sent money to Obama, I couldn't sleep last night' — from the left. To see this cocky wacko up there," Chafee said to laughter.
Chafee said in an interview Thursday that he found much of Palin's convention speech objectionable, particularly her "mocking" assertion that Obama was overly concerned with al-Qaida terrorists getting read their rights.
That comment "got to the core of everything wrong with the last eight years," he said.
"I consider that wacky, and certainly her tone was very, very cocky," said Chafee, a visiting fellow at Brown University's Watson Institute for International Studies. "So I thought they were appropriate words."
URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26661483/
hey all~
so i don't know how many of you caught any of the rnc this past week. i caught some with my family (my step father is a mccain supporter [we don't mind being on different sides of the fence in this])
i almost cried when i was listening to gov. palin speak. she lambbasted sen obama....and after he stood up for her family saying to the news media 'family is off limits' he told them to lay off essentially, i view that as a good man standing up for a good principal....but her thanks to him included mocking his experiance and his ability. (she concentrated on those two topics more then his proposed policies, odd i thought)
my step father was even dismayed at her speech, we both understood former mayor of NYC gulliani, he doesn't like sen obama, he tried to get his parties nomination so he was running against obama in the begining....but gov palin just made me want to cry
then i read tonite, the recaps and highlights from sen mccains acceptance speech....he said he'll change washington....he said he'll bring real change....he bemoaned how many go to washington to change it yet it winds up changing them....he said he's different....if all that's true, then why does he support so many failed policies and why is he engaging in dirty politics....and that's after he said he'd play fair.
this disgusts me....to think that these two want to run the greatest country in the world....with such bitterness and disregard for basic politeness.....with such lies....granted both gov. palin and mccain are experianced...but i personally think that there experiance has changed them....and changed them in such a way that they can't change washington.
i'm prouder then ever to say i support sen obama...i'm a christian, i'm disabled, i'm gen. x....and i support sen obama!
~j
