Crossposted from BarackObama.com
On March 31, thousands of Americans from all fifty states gathered together for Hope Action Change house parties as part of the Obama for America national kickoff event.
Here's the video blog from the Hope Action Change event at Janet and Jim Sutherland's home in Iowa.
The discussion was remarkably candid, and while people were honest about the many challenges they face, there was an underlying spirit of hopefulness throughout the discussion.
In Part I, we meet the Sutherlands at their home in Council Bluffs, Iowa. As neighbors and friends trickle in, the group watches the Barack Obama introductory DVD. Their discussion begins with the issues of health care and the Iraq war.
In Part II (which was released last week as a sneak peak) the group discusses the importance of education reform and the substance behind Barack's policies.
In Part III, Irene Dodder, whose husband recently retired as a minister, sparks a discussion on the role of faith in politics. The meeting concludes with Janet sharing a poem she wrote after attending Tom Harkin's Steak Fry this past summer.
This is what grassroots democracy is all about-- small groups of friends and neighbors coming together to address common challenges and come up with collective solutions. And remember-- this was one of thousands of similar events in all fifty states across this country.
Be a part of the movement. Give or start a group on my.barackobama.com, or better yet, do both.