Last Thursday was a BIG day for me.
For years, I’ve worked to stop the abuse in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). Others, like Wendy Doromal, have been fighting this crime for decades.
Since 1995, Jack Abramoff and his Republican Party blocked every effort to end the system of abuse. As a result, tens of thousands of people have been victimized by the GOP protection of sweatshops, human trafficking, money laundering and other crimes against human decency.
That obstruction ended last Thursday.
Last year the House passed a CNMI reform Bill. For months we have been trying to get it through the Senate without the Republicans reverting to type and auto-protecting the Pirates of Saipan.
At times it looked like they would stop reform yet again.
But, they failed. We Won!
Late in the afternoon, the Senate passed S. 2739.
I had a hard time following the events Thursday because I was on the road with my daughter, Leila.
In June, she will be in Mongolia.
On Thursday, she was on her way to Philadelphia.
Today, she needs your help.
Let’s jump...
For years now, I’ve posted about Abramoff, the culture of corruption and the problems in the CNMI here on Daily Kos. This has led to some great connections and friendships with other citizen researchers/reporters and activists who have followed their own pathways into examining a core sample of the glacier of Republican corruption.
One of those is Wendy Doromal, who is a true American Hero in every sense of the word. Wendy has been fighting to give the workers a voice and justice since the mid-eighties when a frightened young woman knocked on her door seeking shelter for her abusers.
I have never met a more courageous person than Wendy, nor one with greater integrity.
It turned out that on last Thursday, we were both on the road.
Wendy was on her way to Minneapolis, MN for the 19th Annual Service Learning Conference. There, she would receive the Spirit of Service Award from the Corporation for National and Community Service Learn and Serve America. Archbishop Desmond Tutu would present Wendy with this well deserved honor for her work as a Teacher and a human rights activist.
We were on the phone throughout the day and as the CNMI Reform Bill passed the Senate. That was late in the afternoon.
Earlier in the day, I left Baltimore with my daughter Leila for a road trip to Pennsylvania.
I am very proud of Leila. She has graduated from College and is about to enter the Peace Corps. She has been visiting me for the last few weeks and we recently learned that on June 2, she will leave for Mongolia. I am excited and thrilled as she starts this great adventure.
Now, she only has a few more weeks before she leaves. Some trips and farewell celebrations are planned. There are many things she wants to do and people she wants to see before she goes.
And yet, last Thursday, she chose to go where she did not know anybody before she got there.
She chose to go to West Philadelphia.
Why?
Barack Obama.
She wants to do her part before she leaves to help elect Barack Obama the next President of the United States.
Shortly after Noon, we arrived at the West Philly Obama Headquarters at 280 S 52nd St.
Introductions were made.
I had a call from Colorado about some weasel named Bob Schaffer (evidently it led to a story or two) and by the time I was off the phone, Leila was already working. We said a quick goodbye and I was back on the road to Baltimore.
I got home just in time to watch the final moments of the vote on C-Span.org.
Then I shared the news with this community. Thanks again for all of your support.
Now, I have another favor to ask:
Come to Pennsylvania and help GOTV for Barack Obama.
I will join my daughter in West Philly on Election Day to do what I can to help, but the Campaign needs more volunteers to flood the zone.
My daughter tells me that they need hundreds of volunteers to knock on 20,000 doors over the weekend in West Philly. And more to Get Out The Vote on April 22nd.
Can you lend a hand?
Can you join my daughter and me in West Philly?
If you can, let them know at ObamaWestPhilly-at-gmail.com or stop by the West Philly Headquarters at 280 S 52nd St.
I have waited a long time for a victory in the CNMI.
I have waited even longer for a Presidential Candidate who is willing to change the game of politics. I have waited a long time for a Candidate like Barack Obama.
Now he is here and each of us can do our part to help him win.
I intend to do mine.
My daughter is doing hers.
Join us.
Hey, we can do this.
We will win in November and the joy of a long-DeLayed victory that I felt last week will sweep over the land.
Then my daughter and the many others who join the Peace Corps, NGOs, the Foreign Service and other representatives of our Nation can represent us with pride, instead of the current shame.
That will be a great day.
But first we have to GOTV.
Cheers
Oh, and did I mention how proud I am about my daughter...