Some days everything goes right! Sunday was one of them...The plan was to film a diverse group of supporters singing the chorus of a music video we are producing for my campaign. One of our supporters, Milton Saier, had offered his big living room (complete with two baby grand pianos) for the shoot. But, as sometimes happens in a grassroots effort, something else (our Election Integrity event on Wednesday) took precedence and plans for our video session slipped through the cracks.
Sunday morning, on the way over to the event, I worried that no one would show up. When it turned out that the address that was posted on the website and newsletter should have been Lane instead of Drive, I resigned myself to a disappointing turnout. I was in for a delightful surprise. About twenty people showed up representing just about every segment of America; from the cute-as-a-button 2-year-old daughter of our New Media Coordinator, who danced and twirled while we sang, to a group of Milton's students whose ancestry hailed from every corner of our planet. Even the family dog got into the act!
As we did take after take, I could feel the energy in the room shift as this group of strangers musically jelled into a community. Maybe it had something to do with us singing the words, "We can change the world," over and over. Instead of getting impatient with the repeats, everyone seemed to get caught up in the power of what we were singing: We're the ones who can. We can change the world for good. You and I are friends.
Afterward we sat around chatting and enjoying the scrumptious brunch prepared by our host and his friends. In addition to being a scientist, Milton is a musician, and he played the cello accompanied by a friend on the piano. I looked around at the diverse groups of people chatting in the living room, kitchen and back patio of Milton's inviting and unpretentious home, with beautiful music in the background in the background, and thought, "This is how it's supposed to be. This is the American Dream everyone strives for. It's not about how much "stuff" you can acquire. It's not about winning or losing. It's about this! This is why I'm running for Congress, so we can just have moments like this.
Do you think the people who are obsessed with stealing our democracy have ever had a perfect moment like that? How can they, when they only see other people as a means to an end and they know that the people around them are only looking out for what's in it for themselves? It must feel like there is this huge, empty hole inside that they are constantly trying to fill up with power and wealth. But it's never enough. They are destroying everything in their path in their quest for something that's not there. Something we had this Sunday.
Can we change the world when people so obsessed with power and greed that they've lost their humanity are in control? We can and we must. I believe that the elections this November will mark a turning point if we can get our votes counted accurately. The American people are beginning to feel the effects of the neo-con agenda. Today GM announced that 30,000 people will be out of a job. Katrina is still a festering wound in our national psyche. Despite the best efforts of mainstream media to whitewash it, the majority of Americans now feel that the invasion and ongoing occupation of Iraq was a mistake. Our politicians are being exposed as corrupt and inept.
I believe that people have had enough. They want change and they will turn out this November to vote across party lines for an honest candidate willing to stand up and fight for them, even if they don't agree on every issue. But we can only oust the powers that have our nation in a chokehold if we can get a fair election. Above everything else we face, the will of the people MUST be protected and honored in the election process. And that's why I am telling the voters in my district, in both San Diego and Riverside counties, that I will not rest until I have done everything in my power to make certain that their vote is counted as they cast it.
I invite you to join me this Wednesday here in Oceanside (6PM Rally, 7PM Town Hall, at the Civic Center Library Community Room 330 S. Coast Hwy. 92054) in taking a stand for election integrity. I invite every candidate of every party to join with me in this commitment to serving the will of the people, because this is the very essence of freedom - to have a say in who leads us. I call on every citizen to register to vote, to take the time to find out who they are voting for, to vote and to insist that their vote is honored.
If you think it's about time we had someone in Congress who is willing to do whatever it takes to preserve our right to a fair and accurate election, I hope you will support my campaign with your time and money, because right now, I am the only candidate actually doing it. Please visit my website at JeeniForCongress.com and make a contribution today. And if you can make it to Oceanside on Wednesday evening, come add your voice to mine when I make this promise - I will personally defend every single vote cast for me and if the vote is not in my favor, I will not concede if there is ANY indication of fraud. I want this November 7th to be one of those days we can all say, everything went right.