Tonight Barrack and Joe reminded us all that the battle isn't over. That the finish line may never be reached, that the strive for progress is ongoing and eternal. Still, here at this moment in time there are two distinct choices, forward to our destiny, or backwards to the broken promises, lies and failure of most of the last 30 years and the first 8 years of the new millennium in particular. Will America lead the way through cooperation and innovation or will we try to force our will upon the world "blustering and blundering" our way into the future? Will we commit to the long haul and back the people who have changed the direction of the country back to the positive after only 4 short years or will we turn our back and cynically scoff because the work isn't finished?
I've been committed to a long term fight since the mid-90's. I remember having discussions with my father back then about the direction the two parties were going. He could see the extremism of the GOP getting worse and I was coming to a similar conclusion. Obviously it's both sad and troubling to see the GOP actually reach this point. I'm not sure there's any further right they can go, but maybe they'll figure out a way. Based on what Dad and I saw coming we committed to voting straight part Democrat until the GOP came to the middle or went belly up. Well, Dad passed away in 1999 but I'm still carrying that torch forward, taking the time to click all the various Democrat candidates if there's no "straight party" option on the ballot. I'm proud to say I was one of those deciding 14000+ Obama votes in North Carolina in 2008.
However, it's not all about stopping the GOP. You see, I have personal knowledge of the good the government can do in people's lives. I have a hearing loss and in May 2007 it was in the process of crashing for what is hopefully the final time. In part due to that happening, I lost my job and given my age and the direction the economy turned at that exact same moment in time, I have been unable to find work since. As I detailed in my first diary, I managed to get disability which included Medicare. That led to me getting a Cochlear Implant and to say the least the results have been spectacular. A mere ten months after activation I can listen to music again and was able to watch and hear 95% of the speeches at the conventions without requiring the captions that still flow across the screen out of habit and occasional need. Those same captions, that allow so many of us with hearing loss to stay connected to the world, are but one more example of the good government can do for people's lives.
Even with my newly restored hearing, I could probably keep my disability for the rest of my life. After all, I'm still technically speaking deaf in my right ear and profoundly hard of hearing in my left. However, that would mean I would have to continue living with relatives for the rest of my life. Now, I'm lucky to have relatives I can do that with, but I want more. I admit it isn't easy after all the rejection I've experienced in the job market, but I've been actively seeking work these past few months and I know I can find work again if I keep at it. I know I can move forward and I will.
I couldn't be here though without much help from government and institutions that are funded by the government. My network of friends and counselors has grown immensely since I got to California. I'm in the process of trying to pay some of that forward by taking over the lead of my local ALDA group and trying to help people with hearing loss find their way in a noisy confusing world. I don't want to see the next guy who finds himself in my shoes being told "here's your voucher, go get insurance and good luck." If that had happened to me, I wouldn't have been able to afford the surgery in the first place. I'm damned well not going to let it happen to someone else.
I'm trying to do my part - to hold the door open for the next guy. I'm trying to be a part of "We The People" and no matter what happens this election, no matter how tired I get or frustrated I feel I'm going to keep doing that. I'm also going to try to find a way to get involved in helping more and better Democrats get elected. I admit that living in California, it's kind of moot who I vote for for POTUS, but that won't stop me from voting for Barack and Joe. I'm going to find work and get off the disability if I possibly can. I'm going to stay involved in politics and I'm going to do my part to make sure we don't go backwards, to make sure we build a society and an economy that can help move not just the nation but the planet forward. I'm going to do more than hold the line, I'm going to help move things forward. Inch by inch. Day by day. Year by year. Until the America I live in or leave behind is one we can all be proud of. One we can all live equally in. One that isn't fearful or negative like the GOP envisions. One that lives up to the promise of that very first federal document: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."
I'm in. I'm all in. I'm in until we win.
This I promise to Barack and Joe. It's what they've asked for. It's the least I can do.