Posts with the tag Indianapolis

ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

WEBMASTER — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 02:26:14 EST

The Pickens Plan: For those who would like to become an active participant in a solution for our nations energy needs I urge you to join with T.Boone Pickens in his quest for a cleaner planet through alternative energy.

Also see Green Wave Energy: Green Wave was founded by Mark Holmes and was formulated for viable alternative energy solutions. Green Wave Energy is promoting state-of-the-art energy-saving products and services throughout the country.

Green Wave Energy understands alternative energy technology will become “main stream” when

individuals and organizations understand that alternative energy technology exists and
when people see the economic benefits of using alternative energy technologies

Call 949.645.1701 for information on how Green Wave Energy can help you save the planet.

Alternative Energy
Source: David Apperson

url: http://veterans.barackobama.com/page/community/tag/alternative-energy

About Indiana

Ellie Wilder — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 14:57:28 EST

I'm from Indiana, though I have lived in California for many years. It has been very exciting for me to see Indiana in play for the Democrats this year. In California, people tend to think of folks in those midwestern states as dopes who act against their own self interest and "don't get it." But I know Indiana is a great place, Indianapolis is a cool city, and Hoosiers are just like the rest of us, especially the young people. They want a world that works.

Video Blog: Indy Obama Rally 10-23-08

Adam Jay Southerland — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 14:54:17 EDT

Indiana Is Going Blue! My video diary from the morning of 10-23-08. Headed to the Obama Rally at American Legion Mall in Indianapolis, IN.

copy and paste this YouTube URL into your browser:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fv39oiy6_p4

HELP WIN INDIANA'S EDITORIAL PAGE BATTLE WITH YOUR LETTER/OPINION/EDITORIAL AND THIS AMAZING "LIVE" LIST OF ALL INDIANA'S NEWSPAPERS

Stephen Fox, Contributing Editor New Mexico Sun News — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 23:28:39 EDT

There's still time to win the battle for INDIANA's Editorial Pages: Please use this list at usnpl.com;

OHIO'S NEWSPAPERS, Taken from this "LIVE URL": http://www.usnpl.com/INnews.php

[plus, below, the 6 PART OpEdNews Compendium of Major EDITORIAL PAGE Endorsements Thus Far]

Newspapers
Click ( A ) for Newspaper address
Click ( C ) for County summary

Alexandria The Alexandria Times-Tribune (A) (C)
Anderson Anderson Herald Bulletin (A) (C)
Auburn The Evening Star (A) (C)
Batesville The Herald Tribune (A) (C)
Bedford Bedford Times-Mail (A) (C)
Bloomington The Herald-Times (A) (C)
Bluffton Bluffton News Banner (A) (C)
Brazil The Brazil Times (A) (C)
Brookville Brookville American-Democrat (A) (C)
Brownstown Jackson County Banner (A) (C)
Chesterton Chesterton Tribune (A) (C)
Cloverdale Hoosier Topics (A) (C)
Columbia City The Post & Mail (A) (C)
Columbus The Republic (A) (C)
Connersville News Examiner (A) (C)
Corydon The Corydon Democrat (A) (C)
Crawfordsville Journal Review (A) (C)
Crawfordsville The Paper of Montgomery County (A) (C)
Decatur Decatur Daily Democrat (A) (C)
Elkhart The Elkhart Truth (A) (C)
Elwood The Call-Leader (A) (C)
Evansville Evansville Courier (A) (C)
Evansville News 4U (A) (C)
Flora Carroll County Comet (A) (C)
Fort Wayne Fort Wayne Journal Gazette (A) (C)
Fort Wayne Fort Wayne Reader (A) (C)
Fort Wayne Ink Newspaper (A) (C)
Fort Wayne The News-Sentinel (A) (C)
Frankfort The Times (A) (C)
Franklin Daily Journal of Johnson County (A) (C)
French Lick Springs Valley Herald (A) (C)
Goshen Goshen News (A) (C)
Greencastle Banner-Graphic (A) (C)
Greenfield Daily Reporter (A) (C)
Greensburg Greensburg Daily News (A) (C)
Hartford City Hartford City News-Times (A) (C)
Huntington Herald Press (A) (C)
Indianapolis Indianapolis Business Journal (A) (C)
Indianapolis Indianapolis Star (A) (C)
Indianapolis Indy Outlook (A) (C)
Indianapolis Nuvo Newsweekly (A) (C)
Indianapolis The Indianapolis Recorder (A) (C)
Indianapolis The Southside Times (A) (C)
Jeffersonville Evening News and Tribune (A) (C)
Kendallville Kendallville News-Sun (A) (C)
Kokomo Kokomo Perspective (A) (C)
Kokomo Kokomo Tribune (A) (C)
La Porte Herald-Argus (A) (C)
Lafayette Journal & Courier (A) (C)
Lebanon The Reporter (A) (C)
Linton The Daily World (A) (C)
Logansport Pharos-Tribune (A) (C)
Madison Madison Courier Online (A) (C)
Marion Chronicle-Tribune (A) (C)
Martinsville The Reporter Times (A) (C)
Merrillville Gary Post Tribune (A) (C)
Michigan City The News-Dispatch (A) (C)
Monticello Herald Journal (A) (C)
Mooresville Mooresville Times (A) (C)
Muncie NewsLink Indiana (A) (C)
Muncie The Star Press (A) (C)
Munster The Times (A) (C)
Nashville Brown County Democrat (A) (C)
New Castle The Courier Times (A) (C)
New Harmony Posey County News (A) (C)
New Paris The Farmer's Exchange (A) (C)
Newburgh Newburgh Chandler Register (A) (C)
Noblesville Noblesville Daily Times (A) (C)
Noblesville The Noblesville Ledger (A) (C)
Noblesville Topics Newspapers (A) (C)
North Vernon Plain Dealer & Sun (A) (C)
Paoli Paoli News-Republican (A) (C)
Peru Peru Tribune (A) (C)
Plainfield The Flyer Group Newspapers (A) (C)
Plymouth The Pilot News (A) (C)
Portland Commercial Review (A) (C)
Princeton Princeton Daily Clarion (A) (C)
Rensselaer Rensselaer Republican Newspaper (A) (C)
Richmond Palladium-Item (A) (C)
Rochester Rochester Sentinel (A) (C)
Rushville Rushville Republican (A) (C)
Seymour Seymour Tribune (A) (C)
Shelbyville Shelbyville News (A) (C)
South Bend South Bend Tribune (A) (C)
Spencer Spencer Evening World (A) (C)
Terre Haute Journal of Business (A) (C)
Terre Haute Tribune-Star (A) (C)
Tipton Tipton County Tribune (A) (C)
Versailles Osgood Journal (A) (C)
Versailles Versailles Republican (A) (C)
Vincennes Vincennes Sun-Commercial (A) (C)
Wabash Wabash Plain Dealer (A) (C)
Warsaw Times-Union (A) (C)
Zionsville Times Sentinel (A) (C)

College Newspapers
Anderson Univ News and Events
Ball State Univ News
Butler Univ DawgNet
DePauw Univ theDePauw.com
Goshen College Record
Indiana State Univ Indiana Statesman
Indiana Univ Bloomington Digital Student
Notre Dame Observer
Purdue Univ Exponent
Purdue Univ Calumet Chronicle
Purdue Univ Indianapolis Sagamore
Wabash College Bachelor

********

Editorial Page Victories clarify: Obama will win 2-1 in Electoral College! 6 part compendium, posted in full at OpEdNews.com---

Endorsements at OpEdNews: Washington Post, Houston, Detroit, Miami, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Denver, Chicago, Salt Lake, Philadelphia, Portland, Bangor, Sacramento, Kansas City (4 former Red States)

OpEdNews has been the site of choice to post the growing list of major and minor newspaper endorsements for Obama. The Editorials are quoted generally in full, with interspliced commentaries from major editors and commentators, explaining what is behind the Editorials.

Part I Obama's Editorial Endorsements: including Washington Post, Fidel Castro, Richard Lugar, Chuck Hagel, & more!

http://www.opednews.com/articles/Obama-s-Endorsements-The-by-Stephen-Fox-081016-633.html

*******

Part II Editorial Page Endorsements of Obama Denver Post, Chicago Tribune, San Francsico Chronicle, Los Angeles Times

http://www.opednews.com/articles/Editorial-Page-Endorsement-by-Stephen-Fox-081017-544.html

********

Part III New Endorsements: Salt Lake City Tribune, Bangor and Brunswick, Maine, Philadelphia, Miami, Portland, Kansas City

http://www.opednews.com/articles/EndorspLements-Salt-Lake-Ci-by-Stephen-Fox-081018-476.html

********

More Obama Endorsements IV: Sacramento, Katie Couric, Malaysia, Houston Chronicle, Detroit, Waco Tx (sort of)

http://www.opednews.com/articles/More-Obama-Endorsements-IV-by-Stephen-Fox-081019-492.html

********

Endorsements 5: Cleveland, Austin, St.Pete, Gainesville,Tuscaloosa, Orlando
http://www.opednews.com/articles/ENDORSEMENTS-5-Cleveland-by-Stephen-Fox-081019-341.html

********

ENDORSEMENTS 6: College Station,New Haven,San Antonio,Columbus,Las Vegas,Lexington KY

http://www.opednews.com/articles/ENDORSEMENTS-6-College-St-by-Stephen-Fox-081020-511.html

********

If your time permits, please TAKE THE TIME TO COMMENT AND SHARE YOUR INSIGHTS, which become a vital part of a larger on-going dialogue.

Thank you, Stephen Fox Founder, New Millennium Fine Art
Contributing Editor New Millennium Fine Art Santa Fe, NM

My Oct 8th Indy Rally Experience.

Adam Jay Southerland — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 13:55:24 EDT

After i got back from the rally at the Indiana State Fairgrounds, even after stopping off for lunch with my girlfriend, i was still just so filled up with emotion and excitement that i decided to write a letter to one of my oldest friends who was too ill to go to the rally that day. I really wanted to describe as best possible what i experienced that day. Below you can find the pictures and video from our experience, plus the email sent to my friend.

Pictures and video from our day at the rally:

Motorcade: http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3043/2925520300_ddd13948a7.jpg

Codi and I: http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3140/2925521044_0f35553731.jpg

Obama speaking: http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3070/2925519746_17de53b0ce.jpg

Obama: http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3116/2924707777_f51da975e1.jpg

Wide Shot of Grandstands: http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3126/2924666371_514021ca8a.jpg

VIDEO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzO6cTv2Nr0

Okay, i don't have a blog or anything cool to post this too, maybe i'll myspace it. But below is my Oct 8th Obama Rally experience, i'm just so filled with stuff to say about today that i gotta type it all out and i know you can read fast so here goes....

wow that was awesome.my twitter www.twitter.com/djadamjay is littered with pics and comments, codi and i took more close up pics with her actual camera. and some video too.
The line to get into the grandstand was huge, from the northwest parking lot, all the way up to 38th street, wrapping around a few buildings, and then into the grandstand. The line was like a giant snake that went through the various fairgrounds buildings. Lots of places along the line to buy Obama/Biden stuff (some legit, some not) and lots of folks signing up more volunteers. Just before the security checkpoint there were a bunch of pro-lifers holding up signs but everyone ignored them and the line just kept moving. It took us about 20 minutes to get from our car to our seat which wasn't that bad at all.

I Love You, God Loves You, and Barack Obama Loves You

Jim Parker — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 17:34:23 EDT

I look forward to voting for Barack Obama for President of the United States with a greater sense of anticipation than I've ever looked forward to anything, with the possible exception of every Christmas Eve before I turned 11 or so, and started getting more clothes than toys.

I know that Senator Obama’s campaign has been a beacon of hope for lots of other ordinary Americans, too, because I’ve been honored to serve it on the ground as a volunteer in Arizona, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Oregon, and South Dakota, and I’ve seen reflections of the hope Barack Obama has sparked in, literally, thousands of pairs of eyes as I’ve walked—again, literally—hundreds of miles, canvassing, door to door.

And even though it isn’t easy to convey a sense of all the wonders I’ve witnessed and lessons I’ve learned working on the campaign—walking one precinct after another, talking with voters about what our nation can and will be again—one conversation still stands out in my memory. Maybe it symbolizes the shiny, new gift under the tree (or beside the menorah) that Barack Obama’s “improbable” candidacy represents to us all. Or maybe it was just a special moment for me. You decide.

It began on April 23rd, around five o’clock, a warm spring afternoon in south-suburban Indianapolis. I’d just arrived in Indy from Pittsburgh earlier that day and I was excited to be on the ground again, knocking on doors and ringing doorbells, making the case for Senator Obama as best I could. As I started my walk, I crossed paths with two women—mother and daughter, Jane and Christina—walking in the opposite direction. After introducing myself, I asked if they planned on supporting Senator Obama in the May 5 Indiana primary.

They both scrunched up their faces and Jane shrugged. “We still haven’t made up our minds,” she replied. “We lean toward Hillary one day and the next day we lean toward Obama.”

I smiled and replied as I often did, “We do have two good candidates this time around.”

It was my basic stock reply to a response I’d gotten from voters almost every day I’d spent canvassing since the primary in my home state of Arizona on February 5. Except this time, I pushed my observations a step further and added: “But we only have one great candidate.”

Jane asked why I felt that way, and I replied that Obama had the courage to oppose, and speak out against, the war in Iraq when it was potentially a form of political suicide to do so. I remarked that, despite all the campaign hoopla and hype about 3 a.m. phone calls, sometimes the “call” a prospective commander-in-chief gets doesn’t come at three in the morning, at all, but at three in the afternoon, and it doesn’t take the form of a phone call, but a roll call vote on the floor of the United States Senate.

I told Jane and Christina that—from my perspective, at least—Senator Clinton had already failed her own “commander-in-chief test” in October 2002, when she voted to authorize an unnecessary war—one that’s resulted in the deaths of 4,000 Americans and hundreds of thousands of Iraqis and the squandering of hundreds of billions of dollars—money which could have been more wisely and profitably spent in this country, to eradicate poverty and provide health care and an improved quality of life for our own citizens.

It was Barack’s early and continued opposition to the war that seemed to rivet all of Jane’s attention. She told me that both she and her daughter, and the rest of her family, are members of the Church of the Brethren, a Christian group so solemnly anti-war that its members had even refused to fight in World War Two.

As we talked on, the three of us still standing at the side of that street in suburban Indianapolis, Jane and Christina seemed impressed, and only a little incredulous, that I’d come so far, at my own expense—taking an unpaid leave of absence from my “real” career—to walk unfamiliar streets in places I’d never been before, simply to promote the candidacy of Barack Obama.

“But I’m not doing it for Barack Obama,” I told Jane as I nodded at her daughter. “I’m doing it for Christina, here, and my daughter, Sara, and for their kids, someday.”

Then I paused, trying to find words to explain the improbable transformation that had begun to occur in my own life, after Sara and I listened to Senator Obama speak at a Phoenix rally in January, which led me to read—and my commitment to be ignited by—the simple truths in The Audacity of Hope.

I told them that, for me, this campaign isn’t about Barack Obama, at all. It’s about the grassroots movement that he started building when he returned to Chicago from Harvard Law School and resumed his community organizing work with Project Vote.

“Barack Obama made me remember something that I let myself forget, 40 years ago, when Martin Luther King and Bobby Kennedy were assassinated: that this is our country and we’re responsible for what our leaders do in our name. And changing things isn’t just about getting people to vote. It’s about participation — participating in the process yourself, and inviting other people to participate until everyone remembers that we are the process.”

Jane and Christina both nodded in agreement, and as we began our goodbyes, I finally found the words I’d been searching for earlier to express the depth of my gratitude and the extent of the honor I felt even to be representing Senator Obama as an unpaid volunteer on the streets of Indianapolis.

But the words weren’t mine; they were Barack Obama's. So, as a preamble, I just skipped all the way down to my own personal bottom line: “Besides, think of how great it will be again to have a president who’s a poet and a philosopher.”

As proof, I cited Barack’s “Yes We Can” speech, the one that the Black-Eyed Peas’ will.i.am turned into such a moving music video. Neither Jane nor Christina were familiar with the speech or the video, so I began to recite it from memory, there on that quiet suburban street of Indianapolis:

“It was a creed written into the founding documents that declared the destiny of a nation: Yes we can.
“It was whispered by slaves and abolitionists as they blazed a trail toward freedom: Yes we can.”

Then, my eyes misted, my voice quavered, and I broke off the recitation, just considering the awful weight of that last stanza: That, fewer than 150 years ago, citizens of our nation believed themselves capable of owning other human beings, to do with as they pleased. It reminded me that we’ve come so far, in so many ways, and yet have so much further to go, to answer the call that Abraham Lincoln issued in his Gettysburg Address, to ensure “that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”

I brushed my hand across my eyes, to erase the trace of tears that had started to form, and was surprised when I looked at Jane, and noticed that tears were spilling out of her eyes, too.

I decided that it wouldn’t do to part company, on so somber a note, with so elegant and sensitive a small assembly—a 50-something-year-old woman from Indianapolis, standing with her 18-year-old daughter (who would cast her first ballot in less than two weeks), alongside a 50-something-year-old man from Arizona, who had just invoked the memories of long-dead, but unforgotten, human beings who had repealed the horrors of slavery from our land a century and a half ago.

So I smiled again and told Jane and Christina about the radiant faith and hope and joy I’d seen on the faces of hundreds of African-American kids I’d met the week before, canvassing the bleak, ex-urban ghettos of McKeesport, Pennsylvania for their candidate, my candidate, our candidate: Senator Barack Obama.

I remembered a parting phrase that had seemed to form itself spontaneously—and managed to escape my lips without conscious thought, at all—that first or second day in McKeesport. And since it suddenly seemed to fit again, I told Jane and Christina how I’d ended so many conversations with voters—black and white, young and old—in Pennsylvania: “I love you, God loves you, and Barack Obama loves you.”

The words always seemed to bring a smile when I delivered them in McKeesport, and they worked just as well to brighten things up that April day on the streets of Indianapolis.

Then, as we said our goodbyes and resumed our separate walks—Jane and Christina heading for home, me off to knock on more doors and ring more bells for the next President of the United States of America—I couldn’t resist turning and calling out: “It’s true, you know. No matter who you vote for: I love you, God loves you, and Barack Obama loves you.”

I only hope that you believe it as much as I do. Because it is true, you know.

Choose Peace

Gail Clute — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 16:37:25 EDT

There is a grass root positive message spreading in Indianapolis. Over the past few months, the homicide rate has been horrible. To combat that and take back the city, a group has formed adding one person at a time to choose peace.

The web site is: http://www.decidetochoose.com . The idea is to choose peace for the inner city and spread the word of hope.

Barack Obama has been vocal in expressing his ideas to make change. Everyone who wants peace for their neighborhood could check this site out and join one at a time.

I am giving my Choose Peace Magnet and post cards to my new friends in Cincinnati. If I can sign up two people in Cincinnati it will be a start.

When Barack Obama is elected president, the Choose Peace movement will be started to help him bring change!

Pike Township Democrat Club Picnic

Gail Clute — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 16:25:44 EDT

The place to be in the west side of Indianapolis yesterday was the Pike Township Democrat Club Picnic. Everyone is on cloud nine with our candidate for president Barack Obama!!

In Indidana our Democrat Club in Indianapolis has face lean years. The state is so 50/50. When I was in high school the state was 40/60. I remember the day Birch Bayh upset the long time Senator Homer Capehart. I can still sing the catchy little jingle to the tune "hey look me over" that people sang and helped him win.

I just googled Birch Bayh. I had forgotten all of the wonderful things he did in the senate. I also had forgotten that he was in the plane crash in 1964 with Ted Kennedy. The night Birch won his first election to the senate, I attended the celebration party in down town Indianapolis. I was a senior in high school.

Now wouldn't his son Birch Evans Bayh III make a great vice- president?

Stevie Wonder at Obama Rally Tonight!

Carole@www.Americans-Away-From-Home.com — Mon, 05 May 2008 16:51:13 EDT

In an event that's free and open to the public, the rock legend, Stevie Wonder, is joining Barack Obama tonight at a GOTV rally.

The concert starts just hours before polls open for the Indiana Primary. Obama will be discussing his specific plans for reviving our economy, creating jobs, and ending the war in Iraq in a way that will keep us safe.

It's enough to make Americans Away From Home wish they were in Indianapolis tonight!

Carole

Indy Star

Chuck — Sun, 04 May 2008 22:27:44 EDT

I have long been unhappy about The Star's coverage of the election, with bias towards Hillary showing day after day in the priority of articles, the tone of articles, even the photos they decide to show. Their recent endorsement of Hillary simply confirms what I already knew. Well, endorsing is one thing, but bias in reporting is not acceptable to me. I have a daily subscription to The Star. I am going to call tomorrow and have that reduced to Sunday only. I need the Sunday for the ads and coupons. When I call, I will tell them that the reason for my reduction in subscription is their bias towards Hillary, resulting in their endorsement of Hillary. I encourage others to do the same.

What Obama Proposed Today!

Carole@www.Americans-Away-From-Home.com — Sat, 03 May 2008 16:37:45 EDT

In his speech today in Indianapolis, Sen. Barack Obama proposed new ideas for the U.S.

Obama said his proposals were not "gimmicks" but real ideas to help Americans, referring to the gasoline tax holiday proposed by Hillary Clinton.

(Obama's proposals here).

Carole

Senator Barack Obama Loves You, INDIANAPOLIS!

Jill 4 Obama — Sat, 03 May 2008 14:18:17 EDT

SENATOR BARACK OBAMA IS IN INDIANAPOLIS !!!

See Barack TODAY AND TOMORROW!

He Hopes to Get to See All of You!

Barack and Michelle

ObamaBob NSB — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 17:38:11 EDT

Some neat photo's of Barack and Michelle in Indianapolis this morning:

The Times They Are A Changin'

DrDavidIUSOM — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 19:33:58 EDT

I used to consider myself a left-leaning moderate. I like to go down the lines, issue by issue and see who comes out the other side. Most people know that generally means I vote for Democrats. In the words of one of my closest friends this makes me a "godless Communist." I wouldn't go that far. However the clouds of events over the past 7 years have shoved me rather far to the left.
So now we are in engaged in a great political war. Some of theses issues are said to come down to black/white, male/female, red/blue, good/bad, good/evil. I think thats a bit far but I am not on TV much these days to dissuade the pundits from freaking out.
So I thought I would talk a little bit about what I believe. I look around at the state of our country and I truly can not believe what has happened.
As I sit here I have an assumption that those people up there are monitoring what I am writing. They know the people I call and how long I talk to them. They know what web sites I visit. My phone company probably gave them this information without asking me. They track my purchases, the money I have in my bank accounts, where I spend most of my few little dollars. My credit card company gave it to them without asking me.
We torture people. Not maybe torture, not last resort a bomb is in NYC torture but good old fashioned we expect you to talk torture. At least James Bond villains have the courtesy of saying it outright. We call it advanced interrogation techniques. On an incredibly personal level I am disgusted at my profession as undoubtedly physicians were involved in the process to ensure that only a very few of them were actually killed in the process.
You can look back at previous posts about what I think about the state of our health care system. We have no easy fix and I understand passions are high but there can be no fix to our health care system unless and until any person living in our country can have a regular doctor and do not have to choose between their health and anything else.
We are in a war. It seems with all the surging and purging and re-ups and stop-loss that there are a lot of soldiers over there who are living and dying on the whim of a population that we don't know and don't understand. Most are coming home. Many are coming home with serious debilitating injuries that will take years to recover from if at all. Some are not coming home at all.
The world has turned. We as a people have become steadfast and grounded while the world moves around us. There was a way at looking at things as us and them. We are for freedom, democracy, they are for fear and oppression. How can we be servants of two masters when as a nation we see fit to bomb and torture and kill anyone we see fit for the sake of those freedoms that we hold dear.

So what do I do with this. I want to see a world where we can fit in it. I want to see a world where we are constantly trying to be a better nation, not running around telling everyone that we already are at the end of a missile. I want a country where a world like hope is not a cliche but a rally call to action. Where change is spoken of with a sense of bravery and not ridiculed.

So I support Barack Obama for president. I hope you will too.

Rev. Karl Lutze, Martin Luther King, Bobby Kennedy and the Legacy we Carry for All of Them

Chris Blask — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 03:44:05 EDT

Hi folks,

My Step Father is here today, he was in Selma and much more before that. Rev. Karl Lutze began his civil rights work in 1945, organized many of the voter registration efforts in the south and did so many more things I can't list them. He still does.

Karl still lives across the street from Valpraiso University, still writes, still speaks and is still a part of all that legacy. It's always strange for me, because he is just Karl - the wonderful man who makes my mom and my children happy. But when we talk about all of this it is hard to imagine and hard to forget that he has bridged the gap between where we were and where we are.

When Karl Lutze arrived in Oklahoma in 1945, he stepped into another world. A newly ordained clergyman born in Wisconsin, he was a young white man assigned to minister among Muskogee’s African American community. He soon found that in the South, crosses were as likely to be burned as revered. His recollections of postwar Oklahoma provide a compelling testament to the era’s racial conflict and some steps taken toward its resolution.
Awakening to Equality offers a unique perspective on an often-violent era that witnessed the gradual dismantling of segregation. Serving congregations in Muskogee and Tulsa, Lutze encountered a cross section of both communities—from the white and black power brokers to the most disempowered black and biracial families—and a stratified society buttressed by intimidation, cross burnings, and bombs. His activism in the Urban League and other local civil rights organizations gave him firsthand experience with forces moving toward change, as well as with the more entrenched forces resisting it.
Blending personal anecdotes and recollections of key players in this unfolding drama, Lutze puts a human face on historical and journalistic accounts of social change during the crucial early years of the civil rights movement. He takes readers back to small-town and urban Oklahoma in a time when African Americans were beginning to challenge segregation in Muskogee’s public transportation and a handful of liberal whites were trying to move their communities toward desegregation. Throughout this rich memoir, we meet actual people creating a future—one that involved the very redefinition of America.
More than a view of an earnest young clergyman trying to grow beyond the racial and social limitations of the church of his day, Awakening to Equality also depicts the struggles of Lutze’s own denomination to overcome its earlier accommodation of racism. Lutze’s success in his ministries made his achievements a model for mission work among African Americans and led to his appointment in 1959 first as field secretary and then shortly thereafter as executive director of the Lutheran Human Relations Association, a pioneering civil rights organization. Simultaneously, he taught classes as Associate Professor of Theology at Valparaiso University.
Lutze not only witnessed important events but also participated in them and found that his entire career was shaped by the experience. Awakening to Equality is a moving story that captures the real-life education of a prominent clergyman during a critical period in American life.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCg05pTYt0A Bobby Kennedy, April 4, 1968

Seeing that video sitting here in Key West, Karl sleeping upstairs, all the current foolishness being said in today's media, the amazing speech Senator Obama gave that I watched again with my brother last night... It's hard to comprehend the magnitude of where we have come from, hard sometimes to reconcile where we are, and impossible to allow us to not go to where this all leads.

Recently I do and say a lot of things because I want us to get there, and part of it is helping Barack Obama become president. Not because I care that he's black but because I don't care and I'd rather no-one else would, either. I don't want my children to even think about such things. He's an immensely qualified man and the fact that it is even mentioned shows that the ice hasn't melted entirely. Not just yet.

So if the price we pay today is a scrimish of words to chuff the last of the ice off the windshield it's so very worth it, and it's nothing at all to do.

It's nothing compared to the price Bobby paid, or his brother. Nothing compared to what Dr. King paid.

Sleep well, Karl. I've got the torch.

-chris

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/4/4/14316/24086/227/489961

Indianapolis Office Opening

Kati Garringer-Maccabe — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 01:36:52 EDT

I went to the Obama office opening today- what a blast! I wanted to go in the morning, when lots of people from the community were there, heading out to canvass, but I didn't feel well this morning. I can't canvass anyway right now, b/c I have a sore throat and sound silly when I talk. I called and made sure I could come in later to do office work, and assured that I could, I slept until I felt better, then headed to the office around 5 pm.

I was put to work doing data entry, which was fine with me. Easy, but not mind-numbingly boring. One of the best parts of volunteering on the Obama campaign has been making friends, meeting interesting people, and having great conversations, and today was no different. The staffers and volunteers at the Indiana headquarters are awesome! Everyone is positive and fun to be around. There are people of all ages, but the majority are right around my age. It may sound cliche, but it's inspiring to think that all of this important work is being done by my peers. We're making big things happen.

I encourage everyone who can to come to Indiana for a day, a weekend, a week- even the next 5 weeks until our primary! We'll give you a wild welcome and put you to work. :)

Does Pastor Wright represent the ideas of Senator Obama?

Chip Roberson in Sonoma, CA — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 14:19:38 EDT

Based on the comments to my blog, the comments by Senator Obama's former -- retired -- pastor have upset quite a few people. I can't defend (or even analyze) these comments as I have not read the speeches from which they came. On the face, they are problematic. What I think is important is to see how Senator Obama responds and consider that in light of how Senator Clinton has responded in similar situations.

Below is the text of Senator Obama's speech yesterday where he addresses this issue. I encourage you to read it and the accompanying speech from Bobby Kennedy; then ask yourself: "Can we move past these divisions, heal some of the anger and is Senator Obama the best candidate to do that?"

Wanted to go to the rally

Vicki from Bedford, IN — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 14:03:39 EDT

I heard about the campaing rally at the last-minute on the news last night. This morning I was bummed to learn that the rally in Plainfiled is "sold out" and those without a ticket can't get in. I would love to attend one of Obama's rallys or Town Hall meetings. This coming Saturday would've been perfect for me since I have a rare Saturday off (those who work in retail like I do know how hard to come by weekends off are). I'm debating on whether or not to still go to the high school and hope that the speakers are loud enough that those who can't get in can still listen to him.

I also hope that he'll make return apperances to Indiana. It would be awesome if he came close to where I live. If he does, it would most likely be in Bloomington somewhere on the IU campus.

A Little Bummed... :- (

Heather — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 20:26:56 EDT

Ok, so for the first time in 40yrs my state has a chance to make a difference in the Presidential nominee. Hick town INDIANA. Naptown.

Yesterday the Obama Camp announced the Senator would be coming to Indiana. I was so excited. I called tons of people and got them on fire for this historic visit. I had planned to wait outside all night and do whatever I had to do to make sure I didn't miss this. The location was announced this morning. Plainfield High School, which only holds 1500-2000 folks. I thought Hmm, well ok; Maybe because the NCAA is in town and Conseco is occupied. No more than 45min. after the location was announced the tickets were GONE.

I was soo bummed. I've heard that this will be the Senator's only trip to Indianapolis, which is only 1hr away from Chicago by plane....That's a another story. If that's the case, wouldn't you want to reach MORE than 1500 people? We have the famous Martin Luther King Park, where Kennedy was giving a speech the day King was assasinated. Kennedy then broke the news to a stunned crowd and encouraged peace thru nonviolence. What better place to hold a public rally/town hall?

I hope that tons of people in my community don't get discouraged and think that the Senator didn't want to hear what the inner city community had say. The first thing I heard from everyday folks was how were they going to be able to get to Plainfield. For those not from Indy, Plainfield is a surburb that at least a 45 min/1hr drive from the city.

There could be some flack for the Obama Camp., if Hillary comes to Indy....to the Inner city and talks with everyday people who work 2 9 to 5 jobs to get ends to meet. By the way, these are the folks who can't afford to live in PLAINFIELD.

No Tickets for Supporters

webonics — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 14:04:46 EDT

Barack Obama is coming to Indianapolis this Saturday...YEAH!

I heard the announcement yesterday on the news and contacted all my family and friends to give further encouragement for his presidency. Unfortunately, the details of the trip were unavailable. So I checked the local news sites and barackobama.com every couple hours to see if there's an update on the details.

Finally, I get a message in my Inbox about the event. I am so overjoyed since I've been a long-time supporter, activist and contributor to his campaign. I click on the great little "RSVP" button only to arrive at a page saying "Sorry, no tickets are available. You must have a ticket to attend the event." What?!?!

So I wrote a letter to the campaign, which responded with an auto-reply that it may take days or even weeks to respond due to correspondence volume. So I called the national campaign headquarters since I am still unable to find any information on an Obama office in Indiana. The national headquarters basically said, "Yes. It filled up in less than 30 minutes."

Well, first let me say...I'm really happy that the event sold out. But the venue is extremely small in a high school gymnasium and to turn away supporters and contributors that are working hard to advocate for this campaign is both disheartening and ostracizing an important aspect of the campaign particularly in light of Republican-dominated state such as Indiana. Why doesn't the campaign find other larger venues to accommodate larger audiences. Isn't the idea to win votes, delegates, states, popular vote, etc?!?!?

I'm keeping some faith that the campaign will respond and make this opportunity happen for me. Otherwise, I'll still go to the event, but I'll be the one with the sign that says, "Want My Vote??...Need a Ticket." My campaign spirit took a big setback today. I'm fired up and ready to go.

Carpooling to Obama event?

Robert in Noblesville — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 12:50:06 EDT

Get your minivans ready!

Just wondering if anyone was planning on attending?

Maybe we could all meet somewhere in Hamilton County to leave our vehicles, and carpool to the event. Save on gas, help the enviroment, and save some cash.

If interested, please leave a comment below.

Indy visit details

Robert in Noblesville — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 12:37:32 EDT

Video: Obama Supporters Excited About Indiana Visit

Obama's Indiana Visit To Be At High SchoolPresidential Nominee Barack Obama Coming To Indiana SaturdayUPDATED: 12:24 pm EDT March 13, 2008INDIANAPOLIS -- Presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama will hold a town hall meeting at Plainfield High School Saturday afternoon.Obama's campaign said doors will open at 12:30 p.m. with the speech about an hour later in the gymnasium of the high school west of Indianapolis.Obama and Democratic challenger Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton are beginning to take interest in Indiana and its 72 delegates because of the closeness of the race nationally.Indiana's primary on May 6 could help decide who gets the party's nomination. It's the first time in 40 years that the state has had the opportunity to matter because it is one of the last states to conduct a primary, and the nominees have already been chosen before Indiana's election."We've had unbelievable excitement for several months. Now that we know ... the Indiana primary is going to matter in the presidential primary for the first time in 20 years, people are out of their minds excited. I think it's really great to see," said Kip Tew, Obama's Indiana chairman.According to an Associated Press count, Obama has 1,598 delegates, including separately chosen party and elected officials known as superdelegates. Clinton has 1,487, according to the AP. It takes 2,025 delegates to secure the Democratic nomination for president."If you look at what the national prognosticators are saying, they're saying that Indiana is probably one of the last few remaining swing states in this contest," said the state's Democratic Party chairman, Dan Parker. "So (Obama's visit) doesn't shock me."Parker said he hopes both candidates would visit the state many times.Joe Hogsett, a Clinton campaign coordinator in Indiana, said Obama's visit is "indicative of the fact that both Sen. Clinton and Sen. Obama are going to pay a lot of attention to Indiana and that Hoosier voters are going to have an opportunity to help pick a president."While Clinton has not yet scheduled a trip to the state, his campaign said she plans to be in Indiana early and often.With an important Pennsylvania contest six weeks away, Obama is playing down his chances there, even though a victory would effectively finish Clinton. His aides are emphasizing instead the need to campaign in Indiana, North Carolina and other presumably friendlier states that will vote after Pennsylvania.The Obama campaign expects Indiana to be a battleground because of its large black population and the fact that the northern part of the state is in the Chicago media market, where the Illinois senator is often on TV and in the news. But Indiana also has a significant blue-collar population and Evan Bayh, the state's senator and former governor, will actively campaign for Clinton.Clinton, a U.S. senator from New York, is banking heavily on Pennsylvania. A solid win here could sustain her claim to late-season momentum and the ability to win big, industrial states.Obama's last trip to Indianapolis was for a private fundraiser in July 2007.

Senator Obama Is Coming To Indianapolis, Indiana

Clarise Mason — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 00:55:42 EDT

Ibe held. Usually, I know this from my Tennessee experience. There will be a notification mybarackobama.com You sign up and get your receipt immediately.

The campaign will come through Indiana before the primary. Even if I did get a ticket I wouldn't

be able to attend. MuncieNonPartisansForObama will be participating in a community St. Patrick's

day parade as Clan O'bama! This will be our first event for visibility in Muncie. We had our first

face to face meeting on March 1, and we are Fired Up and Ready to go.

I am such a loser.

Darci — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 19:47:10 EST

I was so excited today because I was finally planning to go to a meeting with other Indiana Obama supporters. Every other event I've found out about anywhere near where I live has been at a time when I had to work. (I'm a figure skating coach, so I frequently work on evenings and weekends while kids are out of school.)

So anyway, I drove all the way downtown to the library for the meeting tonight, but there was one problem. I didn't have any change for the parking meter! I guess I just assumed there would be a parking deck. I brought cash, but absolutely no coins. So tonight was a big diappointment and a phenomenal waste of gas and time. I can't believe I didn't realize that I might have to pay a parking meter!

If nothing else, maybe someone saw my Obama bumper sticker during the hour and a half I spent driving there and back and will decide to check out his website and become a supporter!

Mea Culpa

Stefanie — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 12:23:28 EST

Okay..........I dropped off the face of the Earth. For that, I am truly sorry.

Those of you who joined us at the last couple DYT moments may remember that I was accepted to a graduate program in theatre last spring.

It is eating me alive. It is the single most rewarding....and challenging and difficult......thing I have done in my life, but it - tied with a job and a half - has dragged me into a place where I simply could not keep up the DYT events. I haven't even logged on since April, if that tells you anything.

Anyway, I am sorry that this ball is one that dropped. I am hoping to pick it back up soon, but I will probably not be able to commit to anything on a monthly basis at this point.

Sometime life happens, I guess.

I hope, however, that this finds you all well and geared up for January 3! That line about looking forward to Hillary advising him from yesterday's debate was priceless, no?

April 12 Event at Champps

Stefanie — Sat, 31 Mar 2007 14:56:11 EDT

Just a reminder that the RSVP deadline for the April 12 Double Your Tip event at Champps Downtown is mere days away! This is a great chance to meet other supporters and learn more about what you can do in a laid-back, no pressure environment! Come join us!

Double Your Tip is Growing! Come join us! - UPDATE!

Stefanie — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 08:58:29 EST

The March Double Your Tip - Indianapolis event seems to have been a great success! Personally, I really enjoyed meeting everyone, trying out a new restaurant (mmmmm......coconut shrimp!), and supporting the Obama campaign all at once! I will update this once I have a final dollar count, but we did very well last night! UPDATE: WE RAISED OVER $1400 LAST WEEK! YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That being said, it's time for the April Indianapolis event!

Join us for the Double Your Tip – Indianapolis April Event on Thursday, April 12 at 6:15 pm at Champps Americana - Downtown (49 W. Maryland…in Circle Center Mall)!

The focus of the April event will be "What can I do?" Come join us to explore existing campaign opportunities and possible even come up with a few of your own! Senator Obama has repeatedly said that this campaign has to be about US, so come to check out how you can leave your imprint!

Champps is an all-American casual dining restaurant that was founded on the idea of a really great burger, but the menu includes a wide variety of fabulous items for every palate! See www.champps.com for the menu and driving directions.

Please RSVP by Wednesday, April 4 at 5 pm. We have a 75-guest maximum, so get your reservation in today! Out of fairness to the restaurant (which is staffing the night based on our event) and potential diners (who get blocked out if the max is reached), please only RSVP if you plan to attend. Of course, we welcome your donation with or without a reservation. :)

I look forward to meeting each of you that evening as we work together to elect Senator Obama as the next President…….20% at a time.

Not near Indianapolis? Do a quick search to see if there is another chapter near you or check out the group Double Your Tip for Obama to see how to start your own! This is truly an easy fundraiser to put together!

Do You See Both of Me?

Stefanie — Thu, 22 Feb 2007 18:00:30 EST

Yes.........I am THAT beside myself! At this moment there are 27 people signed up to attend the March 8 Double Your Tip fundraiser! I am so excited to meet everyone! This is going to be awesome, so if you haven't signed up yet...............sign up today!

And........I have the reservation set for April! Set aside April 12! The location will be announced at Bahama Breeze!

1st Double Your Tip Event : The Winds of Change are Blowing!

Stefanie — Sat, 17 Feb 2007 17:03:52 EST

Yes, the winds of change ARE blowing…..and they have inspired the home of our first Double Your Tip Event!

Join us for the Double Your Tip – Indianapolis Kickoff Event on Thursday, March 8 at 6:15 pm at Bahama Breeze (3815 E. 96th Street)! Hmmmm……..for the night, maybe it should be Obama Breeze!

Bahama Breeze is a casual restaurant serving island-inspired dishes that include a little something for everyone. (And they take call-ahead seating! YEAH!) Check out www.bahamabreeeze.com for the menu. Also, using the locator function will even allow you enter a starting location in order to get driving directions!

Please RSVP by Monday, March 5.

I look forward to meeting each of you that evening as we work together to elect Senator Obama as the next President…….20% at a time.

Update on tech issue: It was an Explorer issue. I downloaded Firefox and it worked just fine! Sooooo..........the event is up and running! RSVP away!

An Invitation to an EASY and FUN Fundraiser!

Stefanie — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 16:28:20 EST

Double Your Tip is a fast an fabulous way to join the fundraising efforts for the next President! Double Your Tip offers members an opportunity to get together monthly in restaurants around town to enjoy great food, discuss the issues, and support Senator Obama by matching their tip to the server with an online donation to the campaign. This national group is full of hints, idea sharing, and support as you host this easy fundraiser around your home area!

Double Your Tip - Indianapolis is a local group serving up fun in the Circle City - and home of the World Champion Colts! Plans are in the works for our March event as our group grows! Come join us!

Look for other locals near you......or use the national group to start your own!