"Mama, what is war?" My four and half year old asked me this morning. I could not bear to tell her. I just looked into her eyes, clean and pure with hope and promise and decided to let her not know what war is for a little while longer.
If you havent watched "We Are The Ones" by Will. I. Am (From the Black Eyed Peas), then pull up a chair and turn it up. Then, when you wipe your tears~watch "It's A New Day"~his latest song available on iTunes.These songs make me proud to be a member of the human race. For the first time in history, I see that anything is possible, and having world peace could possibly happen in a lifetime. Amen brother Will. We love you.
This is Jessie Murphy In The Woods we made this video for our song "We are the Ones." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13whBuB66XA
The song was actually written in the summer of 2007 before Barack made his historic speech. We thought that the synchronicity of our chorus lining up with Barack's message was powerful enough that they should be put together in one artistic statement.
The song used in the video is edited especially for the video. If you'd like to hear a full version of the song you can go to:
http://www.myspace.com/jessiemurphyinthewoods
Thank you for watching and listening. Let's win this!
Author note: I was inspired to write this letter while creating an original music video with my singer/songwriter partner, Bentley Kalaway. We Are The Ones-Obama Speech Remix integrates the sentiment of Bentley's original song and the passion of Barack Obama's acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention.
Dear Mom & Dad,This November 4th we’ll be making a choice regarding the future of America. Once again we have an opportunity to redefine the leadership role America plays in the world. The challenges we face as a nation, in a world of diverse peoples, demands that we celebrate our diversity and harness the abundant energy that is released when we work together toward the common good. This is a mission I’ve been well trained for. As parents, you taught me to see the best in people, to wish for their highest good, to respect my elders, to be chivalrous and kind, to say “yes sir” and “thank you”.My most vivid memory of a lesson in compassion was when dad saw an elderly man who had slipped on an icy sidewalk and fallen. We were driving in a bitterly cold Ohio snow storm so he could have easily thought “this isn’t my responsibility” and enjoyed the dryness and comfort of our heated car. Instead, after we slid to a stop and he put the car in park, he leapt out and ran to a complete stranger’s aid. When the man was upright and steady, he stayed with him until the old man indicated he was OK before jumping back in the car, covered with ice and snow. Dad didn’t say anything while we continued our journey. He didn’t have to say, “That’s what compassion is” because the lesson was in his choice to put someone else’s comfort and safety ahead of his own. That was the day I learned about true heroism. At the time I thought, “Wow, that’s my dad!” but the thought-form that crystallized deep in my psyche plays a key role in who I am today – someone who always tries to be aware of other’s in need and to lend a hand. When we moved to a new neighborhood in Cleveland and all our neighbors had strange last names, I learned the lessons of inclusion. You never said, “don’t play with THOSE people, they believe in a different God”. Rather, you taught “there is no spot where God is not.”Those were simpler times, when “Father Knows Best” (a “classic” ‘50’s/60’s TV show - for you youngsters) symbolized my privileged life as a middle class white kid growing up in a post Ike Eisenhower American mid-west. I also remember the words that triggered my political awakening, “ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country”. In 1960, at age 5, I broke the family party line and proudly sported a Kennedy/Johnson button. Then, on Nov. 22, 1963, my worldly innocence was shattered by a mysterious physics defying bullet that silenced MY first president.
I had my first chance to see Obama in person yesterday at the Tampa Rally at St. Pete Forum and all I can say is incredible! Seeing Obama on Tv or YouTube is one thing but being in a build full of positive energy surrounded by a multitude of race and age was absolutely surreal! I recorded the rally and im the process of compressing it so I can post it on YouTube. In the meantime there was a video that ran before Obama took the stage that I thought was fantastic. I found the people online who created the video (dipdive.com) and I thought everyone should have an opportunity to see it, so Im posting the videos here! Enjoy!
Be the change today that you want to see in the world tomorrow!!
Yes We Can Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SD3MRRJ_7q4
We Are The Ones Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1aLn4IyCgc
Sara Haile-Mariam is a junior at New York University. Earlier this year she produced a YouTube video entitled My Five Bucks in order to raise money online for Senator Obama. She is back at it again with a new video by the name of Please Mom, Vote for Obama. When she sent me the link and asked me to check it out I was blown away by the professionalism of the project and poignancy of the message. Senator Obama keeps saying that we are the ones we've been waiting for and Sara is a perfect example of that. She's not sitting on the sideline rooting for Obama. She's rolling up her sleeves and getting her hands dirty. So watch the video (and then show it to your Mom).
Today, March 29th 2008 at 8:00 pm to 9:00 pm Standard time, is Earth Hour. For one hour entire citys and millions of individuals will be turning off thier thier lights for one hour to make a statement about the need to adress the issue of Global Warming and Climate change. This is a global movement in which we all can make a difference. Please watch this quick video about Earth Hour.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxu3MluKl8A&NR=1
When we all take a stand, we all count, so at 8:00 pm, where ever you live, turn off your lights. Play a game of cards with your family, read a good book by candle light, or play a game with your kids. At the same time you will be part of the global movement that transends polictical and geographic boundrys. We are the ones we have been waiting for. We are the ones who will bring change.
-Kari
For those who couldn't launch the last link.
Had a great day, working on the campaign today.
And before I put it all to bed (and run the risk that my brain might overwrite the cool specifics of today with more cool specifics tomorrow), I want to note some of the things I accomplished today on behalf of the change we're all working together to create.
Specific #1: I made 105 calls to potential supporters in Rhode Island, Ohio, and Texas. I got so charged up by the process, in fact, that I briefly considered blowing off a commitment I'd made earlier in the week to attend a MoveOn.org phone-bank house party in Mesa, on the grounds that I didn't want to waste the 20-30 minutes that getting myself there and back would require.
But as morning turned to early afternoon and afternoon started winding down, destiny seemed determined to lend a hand in sorting out my plans, as destiny often does: The crisp response that the phone-bank servers here at BarackObama.com showed all morning—feeding up new contacts as fast as I could enter response data on the previous one—started to slow around 1:00.
By 2:00, the servers seemed overwhelmed by the sheer volume of demands on the system—apparently from so many Barack O-volunteers phone-banking simultaneously—that calls took longer and longer to complete. By 3:00, after waiting 5 minutes or so for the system to process my button-click request for 20 new contacts, I decided to restart my computer to clear its cache and, hopefully, get myself back into the game.
When that didn't work, the 4:00 MoveOn house party started looking like the only game in town for the foreseeable future, and the commute suddenly seemed worth the down time.
It was all that, and more.
Specific #2: Even though I only got to make 20 calls to MoveOn.com-ers, I got back in touch with something that I've missed for the past week or two—however long it’s been since my last group phone-bank work: How good it feels to connect with a new group of progressive people who just happen to get that this campaign is only about voting on its surface.
Under the hood, providing all the power that the primaries and causcuses reflect and measure, is a real commitment to action and participation.
In fact, here's the way I responded a few hours ago to MoveOn's request for feedback on the event. There's a moral in here, too. Let's see if we both can find it...
--------------------------------------------
What was your role in the house party? Guest
How did the event go in general? (on a scale of 1-10 where 10 is high): 10 (best)
How many people attended your house party? 7
Do you feel you made a difference? Definitely
Why/why not? I feel that our house party (and all the others, like it) made a real difference because participation, per se, is the central issue in the Obama movement and the main ingredient in its success to date. Barack Obama understands that political power is nurtured by mobilizing an empowered core of activist-participants, and is grown by increasing the number of opportunities for those people to connect with each other, exchange ideas and perspectives, and thereby multiply their influence among the electorate via coordinated action. I'm thrilled to have had the opportunity to meet and become personally involved with the other participants in today's house party, and I hope (and intend) that we stay connected in the future.
Did you or anyone at your party discover anything that made the calls more effective?Understanding the basic points of the script well enough that it stops being a "script" and, instead, becomes a set of talking points within a larger narrative of personal communication built on authenticity.
What happened at your party?We met, listened to the conference call, and went to work!
What was the best moment? Making calls, then comparing notes (and personal histories) as we got to know each other, during breaks.
If we do this again, what would you suggest we change? Increase the frequency! Is there anything else you want to tell us? Thanks to MoveOn for taking a stand in the nominating process, and for taking responsibility for increasing member participation in the Obama campaign.
Specific #3: Then, after e-mailing my thanks to all my new MoveOn.org party-people friends, I found will.i.am's new video "We Are the Ones" at http://www.dipdive.com/dip-politics/wato/
It's the follow-up to "Yes We Can," and it's every bit as remarkable as the earlier song and video—even more so, in a way, because "We Are the Ones" shifts the focus from Barack's words (except, in a defining moment, towards the song’s end, when he reminds us that "We are the ones we've been waiting for”) to us — and the breathtakingly-simple and honorable dreams we all share.
If you haven't seen it, see it now. And if you have seen it, share it with all your friends—even, like I just did, with brand-new friends I met today phone-banking MoveOn.org members in Texas at a house party in Mesa, Arizona.
We are the ones we’ve been waiting for.
And I’m thrilled to play even a small part* in inviting the rest of us to the party, so that a skinny, unlikely community-organizer from Chicago can project our vision for America to the rest of the world.
*Except there are no small parts in this movement, only real work that needs to be done. At least it’s fun doing it.
Wow! Am I dreaming? Can we have a president that is speaks for the people? Barack restored my faith! I believe in him! I never felt like this for any other candidate. Barack my hope and payers are with you. I am ready to take back the White House and I am out their working hard for our cause. Unitied we stand!
http://www.dipdive.com/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghSJsEVf0pU
Now on YouTube - new will.i.am video "We are the ones" - I am proud to have been the 219th person to see the new video!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghSJsEVf0pUcheck it out and share it with everyone!
When Mr. O said that last night, and when Maria Shriver said it at UCLA on Sunday - I bet they didn't know that there is a song with that message that exsists out there. A lovely duo by the name of Devotion (New Thought, spiritually charged married singers/songwriters from Colorado) have a song on their "Intention" CD called "We Are the Ones"
The lyrics are:
We are the ones, we are the ones that we’ve been waiting for
We are the mothers who breathe with Mother EarthWe are the fathers, blessed with a gentle strengthThe sisters and brothers, respected, hand in handThe sons and the daughters who walk upon this sacred land
We are the healers who hear the voice of truthWe are the elders whose wisdom guides our youthThe searchers and seekers with wings spread to the sunThe shapers and builders whose work for peace is never done
We’re givers of mercy, believers in graceSingers of great beauty and keepers of the faith
We are the sailors who’ve come back through the stormWe are the dreamers, resting in God’s armsThe dancers and lovers who move beneath the starsThe masters and teachers whose visions remind us who we are
It's sung in a chant-like style and as commentators (Olbermann and Matthews) talked about liking the phrase so much, I wanted to yell at my TV screen "hey, hey! That's a song, too!" As popular as songs in the Obama compaign have become, Devotion came to my mind because they also have songs titled "Do All You Can" and "These Times" that remind me SO MUCH of this movement. I'll actually write up a piece on "These Times" because it really speaks to the heart in a similar way as Barak, in my opinion. If I can figure out a way to share the music and not just the lyrics, I will.
Devotion's website is www.devotionsings.com - their music is positive in every way and so inspiring. I think Obama supporter's can appreciate that.
As for where the phrase came from - I found this while Googling; (Maria Shriver did say it was from the Hopi Indians)
The Hopi Elders SpeakWe Are the OnesWe've Been Waiting For
You have been telling the people that this is the Eleventh Hour.Now you must go back and tell the people that this is The Hour.And there are things to be considered:Where are you living?What are you doing?What are your relationships?Are you in right relation?Where is your water?Know your garden.It is time to speak your Truth.Create your community. Be good to each other. And do not look outside yourself for the leader. This could be a good time!There is a river flowing now very fast. It is so great and swift that there are those who will be afraid. They will try to hold on to the shore. They will feel they are being torn apart, and they will suffer greatly.Know the river has its destination. The elders say we must let go of the shore, push off into the middle of the river, keep our eyes open, and our heads above the water. See who is in there with you and celebrate.At this time in history, we are to take nothing personally. Least of all, ourselves. For the moment that we do, our spiritual growth and journey comes to a halt.The time of the lone wolf is over. Gather yourselves!Banish the word struggle from your attitude and your vocabulary.All that we do now must be done in a sacred manner and in celebration.We are the ones we've been waiting for.—The Elders OraibiArizona Hopi Nation COOL!
Where are you living?What are you doing?What are your relationships?Are you in right relation?Where is your water?Know your garden.It is time to speak your Truth.Create your community. Be good to each other. And do not look outside yourself for the leader.
COOL!
What an amazing night - we have so much to be proud, energized, and excited about!! This movement is so amazing and inspiring. As our-next-President Obama so eloquently put it, "We are the ones we have been waiting for!"
There will be those who will attempt to spin Hillary Clinton's apparent wins in California, New York, and Massachusetts as evidence she is the candidate of the Democratic base. Well, as an agent of the status quo she should win those states (though our time has come, my friends, as the ranks of the "status quo" appear to be shrinking based on how tight the returns were from those battleground states).
That said, the base is not who will ultimately win the general election for the Democratic party. They will dutifully vote for whoever the party puts forward in November since that's what loyal party members do. Our candidate Barack Obama, the candidate who stands as the genuine change from the past and hope for the future, is the leader who brings together people from all walks of life - no matter their age, gender, race, or belief - in a unified movement.
Hillary Clinton? She certainly is the candidate the Republicans want because then they've got a battle cry platform any suit can fill. For more on that, check out http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/johnmanrique/CPH8 for "An Independent Perspective." I encourage you to pass this perspective along to all those Barack reached out to this evening and let them know "We Need You!" to join our cause and become and active part of this process for change.
Thanks to each and every one of you for what you've done and continue to do. YES WE CAN!!
