Yesterday began as a pretty sad day. I found myself on the verge of tears as I watched the news coverage of President Obama releasing his "long form" birth certificate to the public. I love my country for many reasons and I'm proud to be an American. But yesterday morning I was ashamed - ashamed of our media, ashamed of those who find this story amusing, and ashamed of how so many people have latched onto this ridiculous and offensive subject as a way to win political points.
I haven't written a diary on this site in a long time. I lurk a lot, comment from time to time, and sometimes walk away from the site out of sheer frustration at the inflammatory dialog that is used to discuss our President.
Like many of you, I committed a big part of my life and financial resources to getting Barack Obama elected in 2008. I have not been disappointed and he is every bit the President that I hoped he would be. He is an intelligent, thoughtful, pragmatic, and respectful leader and I trust him to run this country. That doesn't mean that I never question his decisions or that I always agree with him. What it does mean is that I know I put my money and my time to good use in 2008.
I live in a town outside of Cleveland, Ohio that has a reputation for being a bit racist. When I canvassed for the President, I was screamed at, told to "F*%! Off, chased down the street, and threatened by some. I was also hugged, thanked, and supported beyond belief by others. It was during that campaign that I realized I had the strength to not only face hate, but confront it and to this day I believe I am a better person for the experience.
I've debated getting involved in the 2012 election. The last few years of watching the media, the tea party, and the extremists on both sides go after this President has sapped my energy. I honestly didn't know if I'd have the strength or stomach to work on the 2012 campaign. When I got the first email about the re-election I only donated a small amount and then donated the same amount again after reading a diary here encouraging people to refrain from donating.
Yesterday as I sat watching the President hold his press conference, I once again saw a strength in him that always makes me proud to have campaigned for him. I realized that I am more than willing to do it all again and more if I have to. If I knew the President personally, I would have called him and offered my support and encouragement, but I don't know him personally and a phone call or email would be lost in the thousands he receives each day. So I went to his website and I donated to his campaign, signed up to volunteer, and scheduled a house meeting.
At the end of the day, I didn't feel sad. I felt strong, committed, proud of the work I've done, and eager to do it all again.