Organizing for America

STAND WITH ME

Read my letter, stand with me, donate $5 or $10 to my Obama Fundraising page: http://my.barackobama.com/page/outreach/view/main/Anoka

Please forward.

Anoka

October 9, 2008

Quin Hillyer
Senior Editor
The American Spectator

But We're Not Stupid

Dear Mr. Hillyer,

I'd like to respectfully disagree with your article "It's the Culture, Stupid" not only because I think the tactics you are endorsing are ultimately destructive and divisive, but also because I see them as increasingly ineffective in a continually evolving United States of America.  To put it bluntly, that is so 2004.  It worked for "W": he was the guy Americans could relate to and wanted to sit down and have a beer with.  Look where that got us.  

Yesterday, the New York Times has pointed out how the country loses with each of these culturally laden attacks.  Further, the Ayers attacks have led to angry partisan crowds, screaming "terrorist!" "treason!" and "kill him!"

Americans are smarter now and though I was also angered with Obama for his "bitter" comments, you seem to dwell on that instance and take other instances out of context. As David Brooks said it the other day, the culture war that Sarah Palin is reigniting ala George W. Bush "represents a fatal cancer to the Republican Party."  If the Republican Party is to remain viable in this election and in coming years, it must adopt a more inclusive and less divisive strategy.  Alienating everyone from newspaper readers to Ivy leaguers to Easterners to immigrants to thinkers, as the McCain-Palin cultural tactics are doing, simply will not and is not working.

You may say that I am not like you and therefore my point of view is "anathema".  My Muslim parents immigrated from Bangladesh and I was born in Ann Arbor Michigan. I attended Yale and lived on the east coast, so maybe I am not "one of you."  But I AM an American.  I am a teacher dedicated to helping young people forge a future.  I am committed to the honor, dignity, unity and promise this country represents.  I have worked hard all my life to honor my parents' sacrifice: to leave their family, and yes a country they loved so we could live and prosper in another amazing country that welcomed us.  And does calling ourselves "citizens of the world" disqualify us as Americans?

I married a man from the rural parts of eastern Ohio, near the Pennsylvania and West Virginia borders, where his family was insulted by Obama's "bitter" comments.  But some of them came to forgive Obama because they still identify with his belief in a fair tax code, in the very Christian commitment to being your brother's keeper, and the basic promise of America: that it is a meritocracy, not an aristocracy.  Obama and I are products of such a meritocracy; our parents came with every disadvantage and we work each day with their struggles in mind.  So we continue to fight for this exceptional democracy, and I cannot imagine any more common ground that you and I share.


 
Anoka Faruqee
Los Angeles, CA
http://anokafaruqee.com/

September 19, 2008

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

On October 11th, I'm raffling off one of my paintings.  I will automatically enter you into the raffle if you donate $75 or more via this Obama fundraising page by October 10th.

If you’ve already donated $75 or more to my personal fundraising page, enter the raffle by simply emailing anoka@aya.yale.edu with “raffle” in the subject heading.  If you have donated less than $75, donate the difference and email me “raffle” in the subject heading.  If you have donated the maximum amount to the campaign, you can enter the raffle by emailing me “raffle 2300” in the subject heading.  Though I encourage you to donate generously, only one raffle ticket per person. (If you want to donate without entering the raffle, email me “no raffle” in the subject heading.)

You will receive a confirmation email after your entry.

An image of the painting being raffled off is included here and a detail shot is available at my website:

http://anokafaruqee.com/html/work/47.html

For an overall description of my work:

http://anokafaruqee.com/html/writing/statement.html

The retail price of this work is $6000. A word of caution, though, owning one of my works brings with it responsibilities:

1. Do you have space to hang and store this work?  The work is relatively large: 56.25" x 51.25."

2. Can you ensure that the work will be kept away from direct sunlight, moisture, and other damaging conditions? 

3. Are you willing to loan the work to major exhibitions if necessary?
4. If you live outside of the Los Angeles area, can you afford the shipping cost to your residence? The estimated cost by Atelier 4 Art Shippers on a LA to NYC shuttle is significant: $734.  If you live in Los Angeles, I can get the painting to you at no cost.

I encourage you to forward this link:

http://my.barackobama.com/page/outreach/view/main/Anoka


All best,
Anoka

p.s. To enter my friend and photographer Alex Forman's raffle: http://my.barackobama.com/page/outreach/view/main/AlexForman

September 14, 2008

Dear Obama Correspondence Team:

This petition started as a personal comment I submitted via your website on September 9th.  To see if others felt the same way, I emailed this letter to a number of friends and colleagues along with a personal fundraising goal and raised $4500 and gathered some 260 signatures.

I know how heartened each of the signers would feel if they knew that Barack had heard this collective voice.  I look forward to emailing them with that news.

Thank you and Senator Obama and his staff for all the great work you are doing.

Respectfully yours,

Anoka Faruqee

5081 Alhambra Avenue

Los Angeles, CA 90032

323-683-0627

anoka@aya.yale.edu

http://my.barackobama.com/page/outreach/view/main/Anoka

TRUTH NOW

(For complete petition text, email anoka@aya.yale.edu)

September 10, 2008
 
Dear Barack,
 
We believe in your integrity and the issues you stand for.  We are your volunteers, donors, and grass roots fundraisers. Yet, we see the truth being trampled on and believe that the truth is worth defending.
 
Respectfully, we are here both as supporters and as critical participants. Each and every one of us, including the media, but especially you, has a responsibility to speak forcefully in the face of lies, to call a lie a lie.  The McCain campaign's vicious mockery demands direct and unequivocal rebuttal.  The thoughtful analysis you've brought to this campaign and to our country thus far insists on your passionate and incisive delivery.  We’ve seen you rise to this occasion again and again. Now, more than ever, is the time for a just and poised outrage in support of decency and the future of our country.
 
Speak up honorably, forcefully, immediately.

Sincerely,

Anoka Faruqee, Los Angeles, CA

David T. Driscoll, Los Angeles, CA

Mishi Faruqee, Brooklyn, NY

Leslie Dick, Los Angeles, CA

Alex Forman, Los Angeles, CA

Sayre Thomas Gomez, Los Angeles, CA

Carolyn K. Tribe, Los Angeles, CA

Laura Owens, Los Angeles, CA

Jane Weinstock, Los Angeles, CA

Elizabeth R. Bryant, Los Angeles, CA (10)

Ellen Birrell, Santa Paula, CA

Chris Revelle, Atlanta, GA

Ben Dean, Los Angeles, CA

Douglas Ross, New York, NY

David Deitcher, New York, NY

Audrey Chan, Oak Park, IL

Kristina Newhouse, San Pedro, CA

Tony Brown, Philadelphia, PA

Jason Kunke, Los Angeles, CA

Gay Outlaw, San Francisco, CA (20)

Holly Tempo, Los Angeles, CA

Elizabeth S. Blau, Las Vegas, NV

Jodie Berry, Los Angeles, CA

Leah Gilliam, Brooklyn, NY

Amey Esparza, Las Vegas, NV

Angela Dufresne, Brooklyn, NY

Maggie Michael (Steinhilber), Washington, DC

Elana Mann, Los Angeles, CA

Tori Cautela, Las Vegas, NV

Janet Hall, San Francisco, CA (30)

Jordana Welles, San Francisco, CA

Wendy Kveck, Las Vegas, NV

Katie Underwood, Los Angeles, CA

Natalia Gibas, Los Angeles, CA

Diane Andrews Hall, San Francisco, CA

Emily Apter, New York, NY

Elizabeth Pulsinelli, Los Angeles, CA

Miles Martinez, Los Angeles, CA

Anne McCourt, San Francisco, CA

Jonathan Durham, Brooklyn, NY (40)

Natalie Bookchin, Los Angeles, CA

CW Winter, Los Angeles, CA

Terry Goldman, Klamath Falls, OR

Michael Goldman, Klamath Falls, OR

Nancy Lupo, Los Angeles, CA

Bia Gayotto, Altadena, CA

Cameron Smith, Altadena, CA

Max Lesser, Los Angeles, CA

Yotam Schachter, Denver, CO

Kristine Vargas Robinson, Astoria, NY (50)

V. M. Vargas, Astoria, NY

Maryrose C. Mendoza, South Pasadena, CA

Tré Giles, South Pasadena, CA

Joan Perlman, Los Angeles, CA

Joan Grubin, New York, NY

Kreshaun McKinney, Kansas City, MO

Tamara Zahaykevich, Brooklyn, NY

Constance Lewallen, San Francisco, CA

Elizabeth Saveri, Pasadena, CA

Rashid Faruqee, Bethesda, MD (60)

Selima Faruqee, Bethesda, MD

Matthew Bryant, Berkeley, CA

Diane Tompkins, San Rafael, CA

Stephanie Knowles, Woodside, NY

Louisa M. Miller, Pasadena, CA

Tony Phillips, Chicago, IL

Mary Addison Hackett, Culver City, CA

Yoomie Ahn, San Mateo, CA

Andrea Papanastassiou, San Francisco, CA

Eve Luckring, Los Angeles, CA (70)

Itty Neuhaus, New Paltz, NY

Susanna Maing, Los Angeles, CA

Nathan Page, Los Angeles, CA

Stephen Maing, Brooklyn, NY

Dawn Arrowsmith, Los Angeles, CA

Roland Reiss, Los Angeles, CA

Moyra Davey, New York, NY

Siri Sahaj Kaur, Los Angeles, CA

Troy R. Morgan, Los Angeles, CA

Lynn Imperatore, Burlington, VT (80)

Theresa Masangkay, Los Angeles, CA

Thomas Mueller, New York, NY

Tomory Dodge, Los Angeles, CA

Marina Adams, New York, NY

Soomie Ahn, Midlothian, VA

Casper Sorensen, Midlothian, VA

Carrie Ungerman, Los Angeles, CA

Susan Raber Bay, Charlotte, VT

Yolanda McKay, Pasadena, CA

Alex Sahagun, Hayward, CA (90)

Bradley Wester, Brooklyn, NY/Sarasota, FL

John Solaperto, Worcester, MA

Dorothy Englander, Albany, NY

Carie Lassman, Chicago, IL

Karen Lebergott, Chicago, IL

Nikhil Murthy, Los Angeles, CA

Lorraine Peltz, Chicago, IL

Matt Wardell, Los Angeles, CA

Wendy Mason, Los Angeles, CA

Wayne Atkins, Brooklyn, NY (100)

LaiYee Leong, Dallas, TX

Kay Yee, Pasadena, CA

Darcy Huebler, Valencia, CA

David Phillips  Topanga CA

Sowon Kwon, Brooklyn, NY

Olivia Petrides, Chicago, IL

Heather Conner, Salt Lake City, UT

Susanna Coffey, Chicago, IL

Deborah Newmark, Chicago, Illinois

Byron Kim, Brooklyn, NY (110)

Mari Spirito, New York, NY

Kathleen Lehmer, Los Angeles, CA

Jennifer Long, Los Angeles, CA

Louisa Van Leer, Los Angeles, CA

Tom Leeser, Los Angeles, CA

Shannon Smith, New York, NY

Michael J. Shapiro, Ojai, CA

Jason Underhill, London, UK and Los Angeles, California

Elizabeth Tremante, Los Angeles, CA

Millie Wilson, Culver City, CA (120)

Claudia Parducci, Santa Monica, CA

Anny Owen, Forest Knolls, CA

Robert Densmore, Forest Knolls, CA

Lucy Gonzalez, Los Angeles, CA

Sasha Dela, Houston, TX

Alex Olson, Los Angeles, CA

Steven L. Anderson, Los Angeles, CA

Jennifer Dubnau, Queens, NY

Mary-Ellen Powell, Los Angeles, CA

Ginger Wolfe, Richmond CA (150)

Primitivo Suarez-Wolfe, Richmond, CA

Jon Callahan, Boston, MA

Jessica Silverman, San Francisco, CA

Rebecca Cho, Northridge, CA

Terry Fuller, Los Angeles, CA

Katherine Sherwood, Berkeley, CA

Jennifer Rochlin, Los Angeles, CA

Helen Garber, Los Angeles, CA

Robert Jacobs, Chicago, IL

Thomas Lawson, Los Angeles, CA (160)

Adele Mills, Los Angeles, CA

Catherine Opie, Los Angeles, CA

Michael Shapiro, City?

Mae Suzuki, Lawndale, CA

Richard Olander, Los Angeles, CA

Jean Robinson, Los Angeles, CA

Valerie Wade, San Francisco, CA

Cathy Akers, Los Angeles, CA

Carrie Yury, Los Angeles, CA (170)

Therese Taylor, Barre, VT

Hope Alexander, Los Angeles, CA

Shirley Tse, Los Angeles, CA

Jacqueline LaPierre, Los Angeles, CA

Rebecca Cody, Tumwater, WA

David Cody, Tumwater, WA

Patrick Killoran, Los Angeles CA, and New York, NY

Helen Nenson, Tumwater, WA

Eileen Levinson, Los Angeles, CA

Tony Porter, Los Angeles, CA (180)

Jill Newman, Los Angeles, CA

Kasandra Weinerth, Napa, CA

Mary Carter, Antioch, CA

Tatiana Wans, Sydney, Australia (absentee voter)

Kevin Shelley, Sydney, Australia (absentee voter)

Bill Barclay, Oak Park IL

David Weldzius, Los Angeles, CA

Michelle Salnaitis, Portland, OR

Gladys Kendrick, Lynwood, IL

Rodney Carswell, Munster, Indiana (190)

Lisa Sigal Brooklyn, NY

Mary K. Weatherford, Los Angeles

Roland Kato, Los Angeles, CA

Justin Marchand, Las Vegas, NV

Gwen Marchand, Las Vegas, NV

Tim Resnik, Las Vegas, NV

Zachary S. Dean, New York, NY

Alison Ruttan Oak Park, IL

Margaret Morgan, Los Angeles, CA

Enrico Cullen, Brooklyn, NY (200)

Suzanne Bloom, Houston, TX and Vershire, VT

John Killoran, Albuquerque, NM

Linda Glass, Chicago IL

Liska Jacobs, Los Angeles CA

Patricia Gonzalez, Los Angeles, CA

Carlin Wing, Nashville, TN

Megan Sant, Los Angeles, CA

Allen Compton, Los Angeles, CA

Kaucyila Brooke, Los Angeles, CA

Elaine Farris, Lucerne Valley, CA (210)

Louisa Conrad, Middlebury, VT

Sadie Benning, Chicago, IL

John Pagano, City?

Julie Graff, Boulder, CO

Russell Crotty, Upper Lake, CA
Laura Gruenther, Upper Lake, CA

Jim Hodges, New York, NY

Tom Denlinger, Chicago, IL

Juanita Meneses, Los Angeles, CA

Paul Fuller, Boulder, CO (220)

Dwyer Kilcollin, Los Angeles, CA

Taryn Wolf, Los Angeles, CA

Blake Besharian, Los Angeles, CA

Tonja Cullen, Washington, DC

Peter Fox, Brooklyn, NY

Jed Lind, Los Angeles, CA

Cathleen Lewis, New York, NY

Scott Davis, Los Angeles, CA

Margo Margolis, New York, NY

Deborah Boardman, Chicago, IL

Connie E. Hatch-Covino, Santa Paula, CA (230)

Julia Brown, Los Angeles, CA

Laurie Palmer, Chicago, IL

Kevin McCarty, Los Angeles, CA

Bret Marion, Seattle, WA

Judie Bamber, Los Angeles, CA

Pam Lins, Brooklyn, NY

Brendan Threadgill, Los Angeles, CA

Lee Boroson, Brooklyn, NY

Hadley Holliday, Los Angeles, CA

Chanel Eddines, Riverside, CA (240)

Lynne Berman, Los Angeles, CA

Judith Raphael, Chicago, IL

Rebecca Ripple, Los Angeles, CA

Hillary Mushkin, Los Angeles, CA

Devon Tsuno, Los Angeles, CA

Rieko Takamatsu, Los Angeles, CA

Ilyon Woo, New York, NY

Michael Minelli, Los Angeles, CA

Alan Wiener, New York, NY

Marsha Cottrell, New York, NY (250)

Linda Besemer, Los Angeles, CA

Gail Swanlund, Los Angeles, CA

Phil Harvey, City?

Scott Reeder, Chicago, IL

Amy L. Drezner, Los Angeles, CA

Teness Herman, Portland OR

Renee Windsor, Bend, OR

Candida Alvarez, Chicago, IL

Ben White, Los Angeles, CA

Vincent Ramos, Los Angeles, CA (260)

Anita Dimendberg, City?

Jean-Paul Leonard, Los Angeles, CA

Faith Wilding, Chicago, IL

Lucy Park, San Francisco, CA

Roger Tilton, Los Angeles, CA

Janet Grey, Los Angeles, CA

Jessica de Ruiter, Los Angeles, CA