Organizing for America | Gina Patterson's Blog: My Argument for Activism

My Argument for Activism

By Gina Patterson - Oct 27th, 2008 at 10:13 pm EDT

Also listed in: WNC For Obama

Comments | Mail to a Friend | Report Objectionable Content

Tags: Volunteer

Responding to a mixed crowd of folks, some of whom think that Senator Obama’s already sealed the presidency, he cautioned them to remain vigilant in their involvement. In the same crowd, he also spoke to those whose faith is dwindling that a democracy might actually represent them. To these people, he asked them to hold out hope that a better future was just around the corner. During this speech in Canton, Ohio, Senator Obama closed with the following words:

"Don't believe for a second this election is over ... We have to work like our future depends on it in this last week, because it does … And if in this last week, you will knock on some doors for me, and make some calls for me, and talk to your neighbors, and convince your friends; if you will stand with me, and fight with me, and give me your vote, then I promise you this—we will not just win Ohio, we will not just win this election, but together, we will change this country and we will change the world."

If you’re anything like me, every presidential election (primary or general) you’ve voted in has been a disappointment. During the last eight years, we’ve seen outright lies and criminal acts fly in the face of democracy. Even during this presidential race, we’ve seen a gutter news reporting, with a spin cycle that is suspiciously shorter for a candidate whose choices have been irresponsible, and now, outright offensive. No doubt you’re cynical.

No doubt, you’re saying, “What more do you want from me? I vote.” Or, unsurprisingly, you may feel helpless. You might feel that your actions, as one person, won’t really make a difference.

But I promise you they will: Every day, an average person—not an expert and maybe even a little shy—walks timidly into their local Obama headquarters, willing to give just an hour of their time. And it’s not because these people have nothing better to do. It’s not because they necessarily would classify volunteering as “fun,” though it can be.

The reason they show up is because they know that if they don’t try to take back their democracy, no one will do it for them. The reason they show up and volunteer is because they quite literally cannot afford four more years like the last eight.

What I’m asking of you is your time, your "elbow grease." Find the Obama headquarters in your area and volunteer--even for just an hour. We need people to man the phones, knock on doors, drive people to the polls, and run errands for those of us “sequestered” at different staging locations.
Take a friend, if you think it will help the time pass or if you’re too shy to go alone. And buy them a beer, later on, for their trouble.

What I’m asking is that, in this last week, you believe enough in yourself to feel that precisely your efforts can make a difference. I’m asking you to believe me that even an hour of your time could help tip your state blue. I’m asking you to imagine for a moment that if enough folks actually commit to this—everyday, non-expert, slightly introverted, very busy people, just like you—that we will take our democracy back.

I end this plea with two of my favorite quotes, one from my friend Kathryn and one from an exceptionally smart man:

Upon sitting up late one night with a twenty-page paper due the next day and no draft in sight, I put my head on the desk and started to feel sorry for myself. At that moment, Kathryn unceremoniously told me to buck up, saying “You can’t go to grandma’s house all the time.” In other words, sometimes you have to make it all better on your own.

I close with a quote from Albert Einstein, genius, F-math student, and philosopher. I’m going to end this argument for activism the way I always harp on my students not to end papers, using someone else’s words and not their own. Perhaps they’re onto something after all: "The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do harm, but because of those who look on and do nothing. "

Reader Comments	Comments RSS
Comments are closed for this post.

No comments have been written yet.

Content on blogs in My.BarackObama represents the opinions of community members and in no way should be interpreted as endorsed or approved by the campaign.