Andrew S, a Pennsylvania Community Organizer shares his memory of election night 2008 and why he's still involved one year later...
Election Night 2008 was a night I will never forget. I was on campus at the University of Pittsburgh, and hundreds of students flooded the streets to show their excitement. It was the happiest group of people I have ever been around. Total strangers were hugging each other and nobody was without a smile. That night was about so much more than an election--it was about a new direction for our country. It was about a generation finding its voice. So here we are, a year later. While there have been numerous legislative successes already, the health insurance debate rages on. I am 20 years old, and people in my generation are less likely to have health insurance than any other demographic group in America. Some of us are covered by our parents, but many young people get kicked off their parents’ plans once they turn 19. Almost no one I know can afford to buy insurance on the private market – it’s just too expensive – especially when there are other necessary things to pay for in our budgets, like food, rent and tuition. I’m supporting President Obama’s health insurance reform plan because it’s going to make insurance companies cover basic preventive care (like regular check ups) and put a cap on out-of-pocket expenses. Election Night 2008 was incredible, but it only offered us a chance to transform our country. I am proud to be working with Organizing for America because I'm eager to roll up my sleeves and get to work. I will never forget how optimistic that crowd of students was one year ago. That momentum shouldn't fizzle away. Together, we can do great things. Yes, we will. - Andrew S. OFA Community Organizer
Election Night 2008 was a night I will never forget. I was on campus at the University of Pittsburgh, and hundreds of students flooded the streets to show their excitement. It was the happiest group of people I have ever been around. Total strangers were hugging each other and nobody was without a smile. That night was about so much more than an election--it was about a new direction for our country. It was about a generation finding its voice.
So here we are, a year later. While there have been numerous legislative successes already, the health insurance debate rages on. I am 20 years old, and people in my generation are less likely to have health insurance than any other demographic group in America. Some of us are covered by our parents, but many young people get kicked off their parents’ plans once they turn 19. Almost no one I know can afford to buy insurance on the private market – it’s just too expensive – especially when there are other necessary things to pay for in our budgets, like food, rent and tuition. I’m supporting President Obama’s health insurance reform plan because it’s going to make insurance companies cover basic preventive care (like regular check ups) and put a cap on out-of-pocket expenses.
Election Night 2008 was incredible, but it only offered us a chance to transform our country. I am proud to be working with Organizing for America because I'm eager to roll up my sleeves and get to work. I will never forget how optimistic that crowd of students was one year ago. That momentum shouldn't fizzle away. Together, we can do great things. Yes, we will. - Andrew S. OFA Community Organizer
