Today at 7:49 CST I received the following message from Pres. Obama, thanking me for my service as a veteran on this day. I liked it and wanted to share. I hope the DNC sent it to all veterans in their database.
--Begin quoted text here.--
John --Today, on Veterans Day, my message to you is simple: Thank you. Thank you for your selfless service, for your valor, and for your strength of purpose that make all of us proud to be Americans.Today, Americans will pause amidst a great conversation about the future of our nation to take a moment and recognize your service to our democracy -- a service that guarantees us all the liberty to engage freely in that conversation, no matter what our views may be. We know that we owe you a debt that cannot be repaid. But we can and will fulfill our nation's promise to stand by you and your loved ones. That is why we've worked hard for better care for our veterans, and why we provided the largest increase in Veterans Administration funding in history.Today, we honor those Americans past and present who've served on battlefields from Lexington to Antietam, Normandy to Manila, Inchon to Khe Sanh, Ramadi to Kandahar. You have defended our freedom on land, and at sea, and in the air.You reflect the diversity that makes this America. You share a patriotism beyond question. And you share the same unflinching courage, selfless compassion, and uncommon camaraderie that -- when faced with the tragedy of a despicable and heartbreaking attack last Thursday -- the soldiers and civilians of Ft. Hood humbly revealed to the world. You and your loved ones are the patriotic men and women we honor today, Veterans Day. And you are the men and women we shall honor every day, in times of war and times of peace, so long as our nation endures.Thank you.President Barack Obama
Check out this short film inspired by Barack Obama!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yy7yoKI5Os
Making Hope Move: The Role of the Community Organizer in an Irresponsible America
As I sit here compelled to write at an hour I should be compelled to sleep, I have hope. My job is to make that hope move. Tomorrow morning I have the actual responsibility of waking up at 5:00 am to pass out literature at a Rio Grande Valley Health and Human Services Office. My mission is to convince the battle weary workers of an agency in meltdown that building their union is the last beacon of hope standing in the way of the privatization of their jobs and the reckless destruction of programs providing essential services such as food stamps and Medicaid to countless poverty stricken citizens of the Rio Grande Valley. I take this responsibility quite seriously. In a perfect America, I would be at home with my wife right now tucked comfortably in bed dreaming magical American dreams. I’m hopeful that someday in America that could be a reality for me and the thousands of other hope mongering community and union organizers who are awake in hotel rooms across the United States plotting new strategies to better execute our responsibilities. I hope to someday live in an America where the organizing trade is no longer a viable career path for disaffected blue collar laborers, or idealistic young college graduates, or revolution lusting poets, or peace promoting ministers, or future presidential candidates. I hope to be put out of business. Perhaps if politicians such as Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska actually took their responsibilities of elected office seriously, we would be.
In a perfect America, citizens would elect politicians who serve the best interests of the collective constituency. They would elect politicians who govern with an impeccable sense of responsibility to serve the people’s interests and uphold the rule of law. They would elect politicians who view government as a tool to enrich the quality of life for everyone and not as an instrument through which wealth and privilege are consolidated for the few on the backs of everyone else. These should not be ideals that citizens hope are channeled through their representatives, but rather a mandated responsibility of elected office. And in a perfect America governed by responsible politicians, there would be no such job title containing the word organizer in it. In that America, elected officials would uphold their responsibility to protect the vulnerable in their own communities and would insist on balance between their communities’ business and labor. In that perfect America, led by responsible politicians, there would be no need to make hope move. All would be content because all would be equal, and organizers would have nothing to peddle.
But we do not live in a perfect America. Take the town of Wasilla, Alaska for example. We live in an America where as recently as 1996, the small town mayor of Wasilla thought it to be her responsibility of elected office to fire the town’s librarian for refusing to ban books from the local library. Luckily, for the U. S. Constitution’s Bill of Rights and for those who understand the importance of intellectual and creative diversity, there was a group of citizens (lets call them community organizers) who took up the responsibility to uphold the law and the interests of a free society by putting political pressure on the small town mayor to rescind her order of termination. This small town mayor had an actual responsibility to her constituents not to impose her personal beliefs on the collective in the form of censorship, a responsibility which she was forced to uphold because of the work of community organizers. In the pursuit of a more perfect union, these proud citizens made hope move in the small town of Wasilla, Alaska. And America is a stronger nation because of it.
We live in an irresponsible America where our politicians when left to their own devices have proven time and time again through their policies that they are instruments of the status quo and in some cases, such as the above mentioned example, regression. Our politicians are given license to speak in whatever manner they see fit to persuade voters to elect them into office. There is no standard to measure accountability to the truth. Every policy decision no matter how detrimental to the public good can be spun and contorted through the media to appear to be representing the interests of the people. Money is the biggest factor determining who is elected into public office in our country and how they govern or legislate in order to remain there. Progress happens in America because ordinary citizens come together to force their elected officials into action. Creating change in our irresponsible America is unfortunately a responsibility relegated to the grass roots level. What fuels movement at the grass roots level? Hope. Without hope, ordinary citizens accept the status quo and simply try to make the best of navigating our lives through the series of obstacles government has created to impede our collective progress. Most of the time, this is exactly how we behave, hopelessly disengaged. However, sometimes other citizens (let’s call them community organizers) inspire us to take on injustice in the form of collective action. Sometimes it takes an organizer to inspire us to make hope move.
In our irresponsible America, when people see that our government has created an obstacle to our progress because of race, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, or economic disposition we cannot simply vote the obstacle away. Politicians have long since exhausted the public’s confidence to eliminate these obstacles simply because they have a responsibility to do so. It takes grass roots political pressure to force elected officials into progressive action. Indeed the actual responsibility, contrary to a statement made by Governor Palin in her acceptance speech of the Republican nomination for Vice President, lays with us the people and our organizers. Community and union organizers are agents of hope. They take the responsibility to inspire fellow citizens to believe that together we can challenge the status quo of our government and force progress. Community organizers make hope move from the bottom of the grass roots all the way to the hallowed halls where elected officials must be forced to uphold their responsibility of office.
Sure there are elected officials who believe in and fight for progress. They have been imperative to the realization of this country’s most monumental legislation and have courageously contributed to America’s march forward. However, progress has never started at the top. I would venture to guess that the politicians who have cemented their legacies in our history books as agent’s of progress did not begin their quest for social justice at the top either. In one way or another, their journey to fight on behalf of progress was shaped and fueled by community organizers and grass roots movements. Without community organizers like Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., our government’s leadership would not have passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964. King and his fellow organizers made hope move. They created an unshakeable grass roots movement that epitomizes the extraordinary progress that can be accomplished by ordinary Americans who have the hope to challenge the status quo. Without union organizers like Cesar Chavez, elected officials would have completely dismantled the National Labor Relations Act of 1935 by now. You can bet your stagnant wages that today’s middle class, albeit a shrinking entity, would no longer exist without union organizers like Chavez and their messages of hope. Without community organizers like Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott, politicians would not have yielded to the pressure to pass the 19th Amendment. Perhaps Governor Palin, as she accepted a historic nomination and was given an almost unprecedented opportunity to break our nation’s highest glass ceiling, should have taken a moment to think about the magnitude of the journey she was embarking on and the tremendous sacrifice of the people responsible for making that journey possible for her. Maybe her comment belittling community organizers was a shrewd political calculation that might have helped change the momentum for her party’s struggling Presidential candidate, but it was also dangerously insulting to the most basic concept that makes this country great, hope. And to be delivered from her position with such arrogant disregard for the history that put her on that stage was something less than mean spirited, it was flat out irresponsible.
There is an endless book in our nation’s history filled with the forgotten stories of the responsibility taken by regular citizens to organize their communities and work places. They have given their time, talents, and sometimes their lives in the name of progress. I press to remember those stories as I try to shake off the reckless nature of our politics and the indecency of some of our political candidates. I hope that I can get up fresh in a few hours to begin another promising day working in the struggle for progress. I hope to continue working towards the goal of organizing myself out of a job. I feel responsible to continue fighting for that America that can be perfected. I take this responsibility seriously because I have hope that our irresponsible America can be moved towards the actualization of a perfected one. It’s time for me to get some sleep. Luckily for me, I don’t have to keep my hope to myself. In a few hours, I have the responsibility to wake up again and try my best to inspire hope in others. There is a group of workers that I hope to convince to organize a movement that can save not only their jobs but also the ability for impoverished Texans to receive the critical services that these workers provide. In a few hours, I have the privilege to get up again and try to help make hope move.
alamObama Meeting Thurs Aug 14
Special Guest Speakers: For a pre-Convention Kick-Off, we will be joined at our monthly meeting byState Sen Letitia Van de Putte, co-chairwoman for the Democratic National Convention; State Rep Trey Martinez-Fischer and Carla Vela, BexarCounty DemocraticChair REMINDER: The meeting this month will be held in the SEIU office at 1017 N. Main 78212 (6:30 pm) MAP
To sign up for the alamObama newsletter please email jenromo@msn.com
The Volunteer Party was a Huge Success!! The evening was lovely, the venue hospitable, the food plentiful, and the music absolutely delightful...And, MOST IMPORTANTLY, volunteers came from all areas of our community and were United for Change. A big Thank You to everyone who worked to make this great night a reality!Pictures from the evening can be viewed here:
alamObama Volunteer Party Pictures
July 10th 6:30pm Monthly Meeting:
alamObama is finalizing details for a new (well air conditioned) meeting location.
FIRED UP AND READY TO GO!!!Sincerely your alamObama Co-Chairs,
Jen Romo (jen@alamobama08.com)
Judy Hall (judy@alamobama08.com)
Fred Tawil (fred@alamobama08.com)
Wednesday's meeting (Feb. 13) instilled confidence in me that San Antonio has the people and the motivation to make a real change in this country through Barack Obama. All the organizers that have jet-setted around the country said they have never seen anything like the meeting that was held tonight downtown at the grassroots office. I had never seen anything like it either. It was standing room only with a second meeting that took place outside because there was not enough room in the office. There was an air of enthusiasm and dedicated people all around that wanted to get out there and spread Barack's message of hope and unity.
I am also excited about what is in store for the alamo city! So lets get out there and spread the word!
Si se puede!
Our meeting Wednesday will be a training session on the program that is about to sweep Texas: Precinct Captains. Please join us at 6:30 Wed. Feb 13th. 301 Broadway suite 106 210-569-1206
alamObama NEWSFLASH
What a Super Tuesday! Obama Success across America and Enough Chocolate to Last 'til the wee hours of Wednesday!! Thanks to the entire alamObama community!
Now, it's on to the Texas Primary...
alamObama Volunteer Meeting: Our normal meeting date has changed to Wednesday, Feb 13th
at 6:30 pm to avoid a conflict with Valentine's Day ;-)
We will be meeting at our office (301 Broadway Suite 106) and our agenda will
include an important Precinct Captain/Delegate Selection training session.
note: This training session will be repeated before the March 4th Primary.
Feet on the Street: Hurrah! Due to many amazing volunteers, we are already delivering over 6,000
Obama flyers with Voting information across Bexar County. Without a doubt, this
is the most effective way to spread Obama's message of UNITY!
The next wave of canvassing will begin as soon as our new literature arrives; so,
get your walking shoes warmed-up.
Call Center: Believe it or not, we will make call number 12,001 very soon. So far, we
have encouraged voters in: Iowa, Nevada, South Carolina, California,
Minnesota and Massachusetts. Today, we began calls to students in
Maine!
Our Bexar County Get-Out-The-Vote calls will begin very soon;
so, all this "practice" should come in handy.
OBAMA FOR AMERICA STAFFERS: A large group of OFA staffers are headed to Texas and
will join our grassroots' effort to secure the Democratic nomination for
Senator Obama. Let's show them true Texas hospitality, determination
and grit as we rise to the challenge of our great state being in play for the
first time in recent history...
http://www.bubbleshare.com/album/313648.ec24395213f
Yes We Can!
alamObama co-chairs,
Jen Romo
Judy Hall
Fred Tawil
office # 210-569-1206
We have our Feet in the Street Packets ready, so if you're ready to canvass San Antonio please come into the office this week. You'll get instructions, a map and the Obama literature that you'll need to get San Antonio Democratic Primary Voters ready for March 4.
You can call the office at 210-569-1206 for more info.
alamObama in MLK March in San Antonio Jan 21, 2008
We had OVER 200 Obama supporters come down to help commemorate Martin Luther King's March & I have a dream speech! Thank you San Antonio. You all came together for a really important event!
Follow this link for the rest of the pictures:
http://www.bubbleshare.com/album/304387.50b81dca5ff
To: San Antonio Area Obama Supporters
From:alamObama Co-Chairs
Jen Romo 563-5308 jenromo@msn.com
Judy Hall 317-0079 profjh@hotmail.com
Fred Tawil 508-4287 fredtt@gmail.com
RE: MLK March Monday, Jan 21, 2008
Please join other San Antonio area Obama supporters as we remember Martin Luther King, Jr on the 40th year observance of Dr. King's death on April 4, 1968 and the 21st anniversary of the local Martin Luther King. Jr., march.
The theme of this year's MLK March is: March from the Dream to Reality which will be reflected in our alamObama group with our custom Keeping the Dream Alive banners and signs.
Important Details:
Meet-Up Location- East side Boys and Girls Club at 3500 MLK Drive(alamObama volunteers will direct you to our line up position in the parade).
Meet-Up Time- 9:00 am (The MLK March begins at 10 am and the traffic is awful!)
Dress- It is likely to be cold & rainy; so, please dress warmly and wear comfortable shoes.
“Keeping the Dream Alive” signs (10” x12” vinyl signs to be pinned on the front of each volunteer.)-
All Obama supporters are encouraged to wear one of our custom signs in order to identify our group
during the march and for the Media.
These custom signs will be available at our alamObama office beginning Wednesday, Jan 16 and a
donation of $3 would be appreciated to cover our costs :-) Office Location = 301 Broadway
Suite 106. Phone 210-569-1206. Office hours are variable so please call before coming.
A limited number of signs will be available on the morning of the March.
Transportation- To avoid traffic and parking problems, please consider VIA Park & Ride (see info below for VIA
service during the MLK March),
Park and Ride, shuttle service available for MLK March
Posted: 1/11/2008
VIA Metropolitan Transit will operate special event park and ride service and shuttle service for the Martin Luther King, Jr. March on Monday, January 21.
Park and ride service to the march will be offered from the Crossroads Park and Ride, the Randolph Boulevard Park and Ride, the Alamodome (parking lot C), and St. Philip’s College (parking lot 2 at Wyoming Street and Mittman Street).
Buses will begin taking passengers to the march at 8:00 a.m. and will run continuously until 4:15 p.m.Before the march begins at 10:00 a.m., the drop-off point for all the park and ride locations will be on Bookertee Drive at Martin Luther King Drive. After the march begins, buses will drop off passengers at Pittman Sullivan Park. The pick-up location for return service will be at the intersection of Nevada Street and Palmetto Street.
The round trip fare will be$1.50 for adults and $1.00 for children ages 5-11. The $1.00 fare will also be available for senior citizens 62 years and older, Medicare recipients, persons with disabilities, and students with a valid VIA ID. VIAtrans customers and children ages 4 and under ride free. No one-way fares will be offered, and VIA’s monthly Big Passes are not valid for special event service.
VIA will also offer shuttle bus service for the march. This shuttle will run every 30 minutes and will ferry passengers from Pittman Sullivan Park to the beginning of the march route on Bookertee Drive at Martin Luther King Drive. The one-way fare for the shuttle is $1.00.
So I got the email today. You know the one. The one where Barack is trying to take over the United States with a secret Muslim agenda? From someone I know no less. (That part was heart breaking.)
I wrote this response and hit reply ALL. Any suggestions for what to change the next time it comes around?
Subject: <b>Obama Email False<b>
Hello alamObama!!! I hope you are all enjoying our Iowa success!! Now onto NH! A quick look at what you'll find in this email:
We have had many new volunteers join us so I'd like to remind all of you that our MLK March is just around the corner. If you would like to participate, please make sure to reply to this email with your name, phone number, & address. You will receive information about the placards that we will all be wearing, as well as information about where and when to meet on the day of the march.
Event Reminders: Tuesday January 8, 2008 6:45 PM New Hampshire Primary Results Watch Party alamObama Office 301 Broadway suite 106 210-569-1206 Thursday January 10, 2008 6:30 Monthly alamObama Meeting This month we'll be discussing the upcoming MLK March, phone banking goals, and voter registration team progress. These are all ways in which you can easily help Barack secure the Democratic Nomination so please try to join us.
alamObama Office 301 Broadway suite 106 210-569-1206
OFFICE HOURS-
Monday Jan 7 (11am-6pm) Phone Banking to California early voters
Tuesday Jan 8 (11am-9pm) Phone Banking to California early voters/NH Party
Wednesday Jan 9 (2pm-8pm) Phone Banking to California early voters
Thursday Jan 10 (2pm-8pm) Phone Banking for MLK March/Meeting
Saturday Jan 12 (2pm-5pm) Phone Banking for MLK March
Sunday Jan 13 (2pm-5pm) Phone Banking for MLK March
alamObama to Iowa Blog Wrap Up-
Jan. 3, 2008 Many of you know that Judy, June, Steve & I spent the last week knocking on doors in Rockwell City, Iowa on behalf of Barack Obama. And as I'm sure all of you know, the hard work in the below freezing temps paid off. At the Rockwell City Democratic Caucus, Barack Obama had 36 people stand (or "vote") for him while John Edwards had 34 and Hillary Clinton had 26 supporters; Richardson rounded out the mix with 16 supporters. People who had never been politically involved before stepped up in Rockwell City to become delegates. I was so proud to see the community walk in and make their voices heard and their votes count. Once the caucus was finished we hopped in the car and headed to Des Moines to hear Barack's Speech. Phone calls were coming in from all of our friends and family to tell us what was happening on TV. Thanks to everyone who emailed me and called with caucus night updates!! We had a safe but hectic 2 hour drive that included the Iowa State Police and a little bit of misdirection, but we walked into the Hyvee Center just as Barack was wrapping up his address. The energy in the building was amazing. We managed to find a few old friends from previous Obama events, mainly staffers from Barack's Advance team, and a fellow TOVL (Texas Obama Volunteer Leaders) member from Houston, Maria Isabelle. We topped the night off with a few great conversations with volunteers, and political tourists from all over the U.S. I am so excited and proud to have helped in this historic step forward for our country!!! Please remember to stop by www.flickr.com/photos/jenromo for a few pictures of our time in Iowa!! Thanks to everyone who sent encouraging messages to us along the way, they really helped on the cold foggy days!! There is still plenty of work to do, but at least we now know that as we had suspected all along... THE COUNTRY IS READY FOR BARACK! Obama '08!!!!!!!
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
9:06 PM - Day 1 Texas to Kansas!
June and I left San Antonio this morning at about 8am. We made it to Emporia Kansas. We'll continue on to Des Moines in the morning. We just found out that Barack will be near June's house on the 31st also, so that should be fun. He's speaking at a high school in Jefferson City.
It was a smooth drive we saw snow, but not any on the road. YAY!
Thursday, December 27, 2007
5:41 PM - "Emporia to Rockwell City!"
So we finally made it safely to Iowa. I was a little worried there for a minute cause when I showed up at June's house, she invited me in and her pup nipped my leg. I was fine and it was really no big deal but it got me a little worried about the direction the trip was headed. However, everything after that has been smooth sailing. We're safe and there is snow outside. It's pretty cold, but nothing we haven't seen before. June's house is great and if it were summer I'd totally be whinning for you to get me one of my own!
We already got our assignments: knocking on doors here in RC then calling to tell people that Michelle Obama is going to be in Pocahontas, Iowa on Saturday. I can't believe they actually named a town Pocahontas. It makes me smile everytime I say it. We're going to get to go see Michelle speak on Saturday night. Then on Monday we're going to see Barack in Jefferson Iowa. I am so excited that it's all free!! Iowans get all the perks!! John Edwards is coming through here in a few days also but, June says we'll skip that one.
more tomorrow!!xo-Jen
Friday, December 28, 2007
10:34 PM - On the Ground Day One
Hurray!! Our first day in Rockwell City was a great experience. We got our walklists and headed out early. We stopped by the county courthouse around the block and took a few pictures while getting the details about caucus night.
By the end of the day we had gotten through the majority of the Barack Supporters here in town. June's familiarity with the community has been so valuable. We decided to head to dinner at the local Pizza Ranch. If was a great WARM break after a long day, and finally, as a reward for all our hard work the coolest thing happened. As we were getting ready to walk out I heard an employee telling his boss that he had just seen Barack Obama and had his book signed. My ears perked up and I decided to head over to say hi. It turns out the employee, Logan, is indeed a big Obama supporter and will infact be caucusing for him on January 3. We were soooo excited! What a great payoff for a cold day's work.
After that we headed home all smiles and began making calls to people in the area about Michelle's visit to Pocahontas. =:0) The calling went well, now we're just preparing lists to send back to Katie filled with the results of our walking and calling.
I can't wait until Steve and Judy arrive. Rockwell City is small but more importantly friendly. Tomorrow we head into Lake City to knock on more doors and try to identify the Obama supporters there. Wish us luck!!
More tomorrow! xo-Jen
p.s. pictures @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/jenromo/sets/72157594478077493/
A big alamObama "hello" to our new friends, old friends and volunteers of all types... Many thanks for making our Holiday Open House a huge success! Please take a look at the festive photos taken by Bob Scott. No doubt, you'll recognize the Host and Hostess of the evening. http://www.bubbleshare.com/album/283654.8472c7e8539
Now, it is time to put the alamObama pedal to the metal (aka: "the intense urgency of NOW!").
Action Alert:
1. We need volunteers to make phone calls to students at the University of Iowa Wednesday, Dec 19 and Thursday, Dec 20 from 5 pm to 8 pm at the alamObama office (301 Broadway Suite 106...free parking in the lot attached to office. The office door is on 3rd Street across from St. Mark's Episcopal Church parking lot.) We will be making phone calls to invite these students to caucus for Obama. note: Students are likely to be the secret weapon of the Iowa Caucus. (Please bring your cells phones & chargers just in case AT & T still hasn't found our office.)
2. MLK March on Monday, Jan 21- We have a goal of 200 Obama marchers and need help with recruitment. Are you signed up? This is a KEY Visibility event because it is scheduled between the Nevada Caucus on Jan 19 and the South Carolina Primary on Jan 26.
Please contact Jen Romo (jenromo@msn.com) to get a list of local Obama supporters to call about the MLK March. You will be provided with a script to help with these calls and they may be made from home :-)
Future Alert:
1. If you are interested in joining a Voter Registration Team (VRT), we will be building and training new teams the week of Jan 6. Details tba in a future email. note: Voters who want to participate in our Texas Primary on March 4 must be registered by Feb 4.
2. We are working on plans for roadtrips to Feb 5 states (most likely Oklahoma on weekend of Jan 12-13 and Arkansas on weekend of Jan 26-27). If you are available, please contact Judy Hall for details (profjh@hotmail.com).
Fun Alert:
Several of our alamObama volunteers will be traveling to Early States to help. They will be sending photos and diaries of their experiences back to San Antonio. What a treat to share their adventures without having to face the snow, ice and scary HRC volunteers! 18 Days 'til the Iowa Caucus... alamObama is "Fired UP! Ready to GO!"
co-chairs,
Jen Romo 563-5308
Judy Hall 317-0079
Fred Tawil 508-4287
