Obama ~ Still Hope-n-Changy

I just finished watching the premiere of the HBO special: By the People - The Election of Barack Obama. Wow - what a breath of fresh air!


From the night President Obama was elected (4 November 2008) the criticism of him has been amazing (and I don't mean in a good way). Our elected representatives - in both parties - have undermined him. And some of the things that people have, and continue to, call him and his family are truly shameful. It's gotten so bad that I no longer watch the political news and rarely read the 'news' blogs.

But I think that the saddest part is that all of the sniping, undermining and feet-dragging have negatively effected the very people who believed in and voted for him - yes, I include myself in that number. The negativity and bile just wore me down and I've been feeling helpless for awhile now. I've been feeling like nothing is going to change - the people against my President are just too powerful.

But watching - By the People - tonight reinvigorated me. It brought me back to those heady days when I truly believed that he could accomplish his goals, goals I share. It reminded me of all of the thousands of people who were motivated to participate in their government (local and federal) for the first time. And it reminded me of a very important thing. President Obama cannot accomplish the change so many of us voted for, and dearly desire, by himself. I truly believe that he wants the change in which he has based his life, presidential campaign, and administration. But he's going to need all of the help that he can get. He is only one man. And while one man can call us to action, it's up to us to follow through. For him, but more importantly for ourselves. So as soon as I'm done here, I'm going to log on to President Obama's website and volunteer to help.

I keep thinking of one of the many inspirational things President Obama said during his campaign speeches: "we are the change we've been waiting for." Yeah, I'm still all hope-n-changy. When you get a chance, check out: By the People - the Election of Barack Obama. You'll start feeling all hope-n-changy too.

{Photo: Paris street vendor on the Champs Ellyses - selling everything Obama during America's 1st family's visit, summer 2009}


Oui nous pouvons!
(Yes we can!)

Temple