Nov 03 2008
A Letter into the Election Portal
Late Sunday night, two days before the US election, I wrote the following email–and sent it out bcc to about 150 contacts in my address book. By noon on Monday I had heard from over 50% of those readers, and they had documented how many times they had passed it on into their lists… so it had reached 10,000 that I know of! So many people, in the US and around the world, are eager for the attack ads of the US political process to be over–and are looking for something positive to do.
Read this: share it; and let me know what you are doing! It’s still relevant in the days and months after the election. Its relevant whatever country you are in–differences try to divide us everywhere, and people can overcome them anywhere!
November 2, 2008
My dear friends and family,
A brief reflection and invitation– pass the content on as you see fit–let’s just start taking down the signs and leaning over the fences!
Friday afternoon (Halloween) I was standing on a street corner with about 15 other Obama supporters on each side of the stop light in Freeland watching the reaction of people driving by. Many smiles, some frowns, the occasional down-thumb. And then a big guy on a big motorcycle came by, very slowly passing right in front of us shouting obscenities about the “f-king liberals” and the ruination of his America. It was quite a verbal assault, finished by a roar of his bike pipes and off he went.
It made me think, again, we have to stop this raging at each other. It seems to me that those on the right feel a sense of entitlement to rage, to lashing out when threatened–and I am sure there are those on the left who do the same. And all it does is widen the divide and increase fear.
Walking back to my truck a bit later, holding my Obama sign to my chest I could feel my heart swell with hope like I have not allowed myself in a long time. I sat in the truck cab and cried and asked myself, “How will I handle it if McCain snatches victory from the jaws of defeat?” And it gave me great empathy for those walking back to their vehicles clutching McCain signs to their chests.
So the next day, on my way to phone banks and canvassing undecided voters, when I saw the McCain people out at another corner down the highway I determined to walk up to every person I see who is wearing a McCain button, holding a McCain sign, or has a McCain bumper-sticker, and extending my hand to shake theirs. “Hello, I’m your neighbor, Christina, in Freeland. Deep down, I believe we have similar values and dreams and come Wednesday, you can on me to include you in my vision of America… Can I count on you?”
This is the question. And I invite you to start asking it–for Wednesday morning is just the beginning of an era of citizen involvement that must go on for the rest of our lives. This citizen involvement will have many facets as we learn how to communicate more and more effectively with our elected officials, and our new president. And it will be sustained at the local level. You can count on me… And I count on you.
And for the inspiration part: this song is a must see–just as this vote is a must believe!
http://nz.youtube.com/watch?v=oVi4rUzf-0Q
Love to you!
Christina
Copyright ©2009 Christina Baldwin. All rights reserved.
As I listened to the announcement that Barak Obama will be President of the United States, I was filled with hope and humility. At the same time, I was aware that many of the people with whom I share this planet are disappointed and anxious. This, I believe, is the movement of Spirit…calling forth the best, the most human, the most divine in me. In the days ahead, I will choose to offer words and actions of compassion and grace.
I have never lost touch with the fact that my friends and fellow citizens on both sides of the political chasm (which, this year, didn’t see quite as wide at times) are all simply doing what they feel is best — for their families, their country, themselves. I believe in our collective wisdom, blue and red, black and white, male and female. May we all move ahead into the future as one. Thank you for this post, Christina.