Well, for me, a cynic (Frustrated Idealist), what tipped the balance is the fact that I have allowed myself to dream once more, to believe, if you want to put it that way, that maybe it is possible to make some changes to the paradigm deeply rooted in the US body-politic for... well, it seems forever."
Maybe it is dreaming awake, who can really know what's ahead, but Barack Obama is talking to me, to us, he is saying that change is possible, but that it will only come about IF WE MAKE IT HAPPEN, it goes parallel to my belief that IT IS UP TO US, which goes right along with what a group of activists (Sisters/Brothers), of which I'm part, are saying: "WE ARE THE ONES WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR"
This is what I wrote when I made a decision to throw myself and my resource$, meager as they were/are, into battle for a new Political Paradigm.
This is the framework of my declaration to do the hard work that I did promise my candidate, and now my President, I'd do.
More than a Diary, this is a revisiting of my commitment in a Diary, and my commitment to the Public Option in another Diary.
Since a plug for my Blog in the farthest thing on my mind, I post my Diaries in their totality on this post, I added the links to them for consistency in linking to the source/s
So, why Obama?
Saturday February 9, 2008
Well, for me, a cynic (Frustrated Idealist), what tipped the balance is the fact that I have allowed myself to dream once more, to believe, if you want to put it that way, that maybe it is possible to make some changes to the paradigm deeply rooted in the US body-politic for... well, it seems forever.
I'm not being naive, no, I'm realistic enough to know that we are going against the grain, swimming upstream, hoping without hope, but with all my realism/cynicism, I ask myself: Do nothing? Give up even before I try?
Maybe it is dreaming awake, who can really know what's ahead, but Barack Obama is talking to me, to us, he is saying that change is possible, but that it will only come about IF WE MAKE IT HAPPEN, it goes parallel to my belief that IT IS UP TO US, which goes right along with what a group of activists (Sisters/Brothers), of which I'm part, are saying: "WE ARE THE ONES WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR"
Maybe it is just words coming from him, but for me, it is a contract that says: OK Mr. Obama, it is also up to you, it is your choice to be a shining star in the US Political Firmament that'll shine for years to come, or, you will just be a Falling Star of short-lived brilliance, that's for the future to determine working together with your lead, demonstrating your side of our implicit contract. My choice and duty will be to make it so, I'm taking your word for it, your option is to be responsible for your actions in our bargain. My options are: To continue supporting and helping you, or to hold you accountable. Whichever it is, I'll know because you'll show me.
Your Choice.
There you have it - Join us and dream once more, but let our dream be anchored in the reality of our activism, of our involvement because "Si se puede!", "Yes, it can be done!"
And this is my Resolution, in another Diary, to work for passage of Health Reform with a Robust Public Option.
I join with all the other progressives who feel that this has to be a one-side action on the Hill, we all pretty much agree that bi-partisanship is totally out of the question, the Republicans(?) have made this point loud and clear.
When they were in power, did they listen to our objections?
Did they shared the power?
No, it was their way or the highway.
I really do not have the words, all I know that I have to demonstrate to my President and the Progressive Democrats who, for a change, are taking a non-negotiable stand,
I stand with them and I want to show them, this is what I resolved to do, hoping other people who feel as I do, let me know that they would also want to do something, I'm like totally open to the details of an action in San Francisco, however, I will strongly argue that Labor Day Weekend is a great time to do it.
Public Option or Bust: My Resolution for Labor Day Weekend
My President, Dems who have drawn a line on the sand, and the millions of people who have done the same, I say unto you: "hold that line, for the Cavalry is on it's way."
Ooooh, I have a dream that millions of the real people march to demand that the bargain we made last year, is honored.
I pretty much decided to march in support of a robust Public Option, I'll do it on Labor day, Sept. 7 in San Francisco, from the Embarcadero's Justin Herman Plaza, to the Federal Building where Nacy Pelosi has her office, no, it is not my idea, it is all over, I keep hearing, where are the people who made magic in the 2008 election? I don't know where the rest of us are, but I do know where one of them is, right here and itching for action because I had it, as Popeye would say: "That's all that I can take, I can't take no more"
As to the location where the march ends, why not? It is a fact that many Democrats, including Nancy Pelosi, have drawn a line on the sand for Public Option, no doubt that The President whom we helped elect and who promised us health reform which would include Government-administered health services in competition with the Insurance Companies, needs to hear from us, didn't we agree that it was up to us? That we, as always, are the ones who have to carry the heavy load, it is up to us, we have to make it happen.
Why on Monday? Why not? Other people may choose to march on Sunday, or on Saturday, while some of us may even march on these three days if there are corresponding actions, Sunday seems a good day for church-going people, worship in the morning and then take action for the Health Reform that each of us, and the nation's economy, desperately need, now is the time, Saturday may sound good to people who simply just like to march on Saturdays, Monday may look appealing for people who still believe in fighting for the rights of all workers and who still live by the principle that "An injury to one, is an injury to all", of one thing all of us can be sure, people are getting hurt and dying due to the expensive and deadly nightmare that the Health Care System has turned into, did I say Health Care System? Ha, ha, ha... I laugh to avoid crying, if it is a system at all, it is a 'fleece-the-consumer-system and get obscenely wealthy while doing it.
Oh yeah, I do have a dream, Labor Day Weekend 2009, a weekend of Actions, a historic time in the USA where once more the people made History and forced passage of a Health Care Plan which works for the people, where the interest of patients is placed before profits and not the other way around, as has been the case forever and the long struggle of trying to change the status quo for... how many? 60, 90 years?
I have not mentioned one of the issues that compel me to march is that WE ARE NOT BEING HEARD, or we are being ignored by many Democrats who forgot that we elected them to take care of a few matters, chief among them is Health Reform, I though we had a bargain because, in addition to being not only our Representatives, they are our employees, we pay their salaries, they were elected to serve the people who put them there and instead they are serving the powers who fought hard to prevent many of them from getting into office, we won that battle and sent them to Washington with overwhelming majorities and with a mandate. WE HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY, I HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY.
Last time I checked, the Democratic Party's Platform lists Universal Health Care and yet, some Democrats are shitting on it.
What is up with that?
No, there are not thousands of people also marching, nor hundreds, not even dozens, there is only one friend I talked over with about this issue who said: "I'll also march with you, I have to do something about this"
So, there are two of us so far.
Do Something, I don't think there is one pro public option person who isn't saying to him/herself: "I've got to do something"
There are many ideas, proposals, a Boycott or Something, in the meantime... time goes bye bye, drip, drip the bleeding continues, the lies get more abundant, widespread and established.
What I say is: let's not complicate what it is in essence a set of simple issues which have complex problems with huge repercussions, we want a choice, we want true competition on the Health Insurance Market Place, we will settle for a Robust Public Option, we do know that Medicare and the VA systems work better than the private systems, so we should be given the opportunity to compete, yes, we, WE ARE THE GOVERNMENT, WE ARE THE SHAREHOLDERS WITH A FRANCHISE ON THIS ENTERPRISE WHICH THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA IS SUPPOSED TO BE.
Curious that the Health Insurance Industry is spending ungodly amounts of money to defeat it, it seems to me that if they are against something, undoubtedly, it has to be good for us. They don't want competition because it would be... GASP!!! Unfair?
Hey you blood suckers, isn't this a Capitalist System? This is what you keep telling us and you do not want competition? How stupid do you really think we are?
In everytown USA, people make their own resolution, organize and take action, we invite family, friends, co-workers, colleagues, the small business / organizations who serve us, we have a Church or some other venue where we attend; all of us have a stake on this struggle, more aptly to call it a war, it is a very old war and we have to put an end to it with a clear objective: Health Care Reform with A Robust Public Option - LET THE COMPETITION COMMENCE AND LET THE BEST PROVIDER OF HEALTH SERVICES WIN.
Many Right Wingers and many in what passes as the Republican Party, are saying that they want their country back, eh? Hellooooo? We are the majority, we won the elections, isn't this still a Democracy? C'mon, who is really in danger of losing the Country? I don't really mean losing our Country, but hey! I'm told that elections matter and as the gullible and idealistic soul that I am, I believed it, I opened my meager check account, gave tons of my time, a lot of it from my sleeping time to help elect Barack Obama and to give the Democrats a majority, candidate Obama said that I could own a piece of the campaign, President Obama confirmed that I do own a piece of it - I'll march.
I want to tell my President, to my Representatives who are sticking for our best interests, you are not alone, I may be only one, but I'm with you and I'll say it by making contact with the soles of my shoes to the street's pavement on Labor Day Weekend, Monday for sure, but I'd love to also March on Saturday and on Sunday no matter how long my tired 62 year old bones take to recover.
Target: Labor Day Weekend, plenty of time to ask other people if they want to do the same, time for them to, in turn, ask others if they want to do the same, time for them to also ask others if they want to do the same, and so forth, and so on.
If many more would make their own commitment and resolve to also do something, it would be magic all over again.
<div style="align: center;">"WE ARE THE ONES WE HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR"
YES WE CAN, SI SE PUEDE!</div>
I also feel that if an individual in any town / city USA commits to demonstrate and ask others if they will join him / her and do it, even if only one person shows up, in this case, me, I'll fulfill my promise to my President and to myself.
I'd have continued to honor the bargain I made with him.
I'm confident that if many of us do the same across the country, our President will honor his side of our implicit contract.
And if we want to go further, most of us are affiliated to Organizations, websites, blogs...
I really have a dream and a question: "What if...?