~*Change*~

Eight years ago there was a high percentage of the U.S. population that refused to vote or even get involved in major politics because the general understanding was that “the man” would do whatever they wanted despite what the voters said. Events like the mix up in FL are perfect proof of this, I think, and was a sad, violent shake to anyone that had any hope left in our system at the time. And so 4 years ago, the same lack of activity from the public was repeated. It was heartbreaking - even after all those programs to raise awareness, like "Rock The Vote", and educate younger generations.

After the last two elections and 8 years of a wide range of questionable acts, realizing the large amount of lies used to manipulate us and failure (and collapses) on so many levels of our world and lives by George W Bush, it was with bated breath that I waited for the results on the general election for 2008. Sure, the one promising hope, change for the better, so many good things and the one I was voting for certainly looked like he was going to win. However, my history from the past two elections had been that just because people had good/positive/different ideas, did not mean that they would win. Somehow the status quo always disappointed me in the end.

Obama won though. He won! It seems that if any good came from that last 8 years it would be the evidence that at least Bush has the ability to unite a nation to clean up after his failed experiments with democracy.

"It's been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this day, in this election, at this defining moment, change has come to America."

(if you can’t see the above, please go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otA7tjinFX4)
No matter who you voted for, it is an undeniable fact that we have made history, that we are living in incredible times (whether they frighten or joyously excite you). Out walking the day after the election, I looked up and saw something beautiful – the weather, the sky that day. All day here it was gloomy out. It didn’t actually rain and when I went outside the sky was gray, a thin layer of clouds covering the entire sky … but there was the sun, still shining through. I thought that was such a beautiful, simple sign – dark times but the sun still shining through all the same.

" I congratulate {McCain} and Governor Palin for all they have achieved, and I look forward to working with them to renew this nation's promise in the months ahead."

(if you can’t see the above, please go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxuo91L5f9Q)
For the first time in a very long time, I can openly and honestly say, I'm damn proud to be an American and my faith in the majority of our people is restored. We're no longer giving in to fear and have proven we can stand up against “the man”. It's a good time to be alive now. Cheers to Obama and Biden … high-five to all the people that made it possible and to the ones who may have voted for someone else, but are still embracing the possibilities of the outcome of the 2008 election.

His speech was wonderful and moving ... keep watching the bits I have in this entry. When Obama mentioned McCain in his speech (it's in the bit above, actually), the crowd still cheered. And, yes, they lost, but when McCain mentioned Obama in his speech before that there were sections of the crowd that boo'ed. I thought that was awful.

"This victory alone is not the change we seek, it is only the chance for us to make that change."

(if you can’t see the above, please go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHCRqX6-zXw)
I hope my friends in the military will no longer by subject to fighting illegitimate wars, but fighting for the good, for the betterment of all that we believe in and defending the honor the president soon ending his terms has tarnished. I have hope for all the hard working and middle-class people who will soon, if all goes well, no longer be screwed by an unfair tax system. I hope Obama can live up to his promises and am looking forward to a bright future ahead that he has in mind. I hope a breath of fresh air is what we need and does make a difference.

"that while we breathe, we hope, and where we are met with cynicism, and doubt, and those who tell us that we can't, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people: Yes We Can"

(if you can’t see the above, please go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9Th4eiZ_c8)


My old college friend, Phil put it beautifully-
To everyone who voted with hate in their hearts...let me just say this: no, you couldn't.

To everyone who didn't vote against Obama but instead voted against "the black one," no. You couldn't.

To everyone who spread lies about our new president, and about his family, and to everyone who believed that this was the honorable way to compete for leadership of our nation and the world...no, you couldn't.

To everyone who spent eight years gloating over the disenfranchisement of the youth vote...no, you couldn't.

To everyone who voted in hypocrisy, decrying Obama as inexperienced but perfectly happy to have an incompetent hockey mom as next in line to lead...no, you couldn't.

To everyone who turned the presidential campaign of a war hero into a disgusting spiral of venom and accusations...no, you couldn't.

To everyone who exhausted every resource, be it physical, verbal, digital, to keep young people and minorities home on election day...no, you couldn't.

To everyone who felt that our biggest obligation on Election Day was to maintain the status quo...no, you couldn't.

But to everyone who voted for McCain because they sincerely felt he was the better man for the job: welcome aboard. Yesterday we all had different presidents in mind. Today we only have one. We can do this together. And you won't be disappointed.

"Yes We Can Obama Song by will.i.am"

if you can't see the above, please go here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fZHou18Cdk

Vote!

if you can't see the above, please check out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vtHwWReGU0



if you can't see the above, please check out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fX40RsSLwF4

Final Debate

Shit. I hate to say it, but I think McCain did well tonight ... and by "well", I mean, if anyone doesn't know McCain and his beliefs, he sounded great! Sadly, I feel more of the public don't know the candidates and buy this crap politicians feed us around this time every four years. McCain is lying, lying, lying. Sure, it's part of politics, but it scares me so much that people might (and probably are) believing this stuff.

- "life begins at conception" "I'm pro-life" ... but McCain was saying Obama's statements saying McCain's against stem cell research are negative and lies??? Life begins are conception and stem cell research contradict one another completely in the mind of conservative, pro-life people like McCain.
- "I'm proud of the people who come to our rallies" ... oh yea? The ones who chant "kill, kill, kill", you support them too?
- For McCain to say Sarah Palin's excited women and brought them a step forward is just absolutely disgusting to me. Talk about a big, whopping lie! Most women are insulted. People with Sarah Palin's qualification have never been involved before because they're not qualified! New doesn't mean different and new to the scene definitely doesn't mean better.
- At one point McCain said "hundreds" and then corrected himself it to "billions" ... I wasn't going to point that out, but McCain did that more than one and, man, that's a big difference!
- I cannot believe McCain said that most of Superior Court decisions were wrong. How insulting to those judges who have achieved such standing and the presidents that suggested they be put in those positions! Then he said that such decisions should rest in the hands of the states - uh, why are we the "united" states at all then???
- Anyone that supports Roe V Wade automatically makes them unqualified for sitting on the Superior Court?! Wow! That's terrifying. Though I do not believe that is a decision I could ever personally make, I will never, ever, ever be okay with some older, white man thinking he can take that option away from every woman no matter what the circumstances. Uh! And for Obama to then smooth it over by saying that he feels abortion is a very difficult issue and a moral issue ... that the constitution has a "right to privacy" in it. I liked that!! That our "rights" should not be put up to public vote. Oh man, he won me right there if he hadn't already. Personal, private choices should remain that - our own decisions, not forced ones due to a narrow minded, conservative weighed judges and if that's "mainstream America" - well, mainstream isn't everyone's current in life!
- Personally I also really liked Obama's idea of community work required for students - I think it is GREAT! My rescue experience has gotten me so far in life, made me very mature & aware. Also, I cannot imagine my life without my time in Belize, even for how short it was. That time in my life will forever be greatly valued and on my mind.
- And my, wouldn't it be great to get rid of bad teachers!? They're such a detriment to not only the education of our children, but their self-esteem and self value. Whether they feel bad for constantly doing poorly in a class due to poor teaching practices, unhelpful, non-hands-on educators or those belittling teachers. They affect our whole lives greatly!
- Oh, and I also liked how McCain practically jumped Obama yelling saying "Good job. Good job." I guess him not shaking hands last time got him a slap on the wrist from his party?

Afterwards, NBC had a little mini poll/interview with 4 independent voters, 1 republican and 1 democrat. When asked to answer honestly, 3 people raised their hands saying they knew people who would not vote for Obama due to his race. When asked if they knew anyone that would not vote for McCain due to Sarah Palin ... every single one of those six people raised their hand! That says something right there, I think. Also, they were very impressed that Obama contained his temperament and discipline - I have to agree with that. I don't want a president that gets heated, over-worked and angry representing me ... let alone making decisions in a time of crisis.

Post debate I checked out the polls on AOL and found this comment along the lines of how stupid Democrats must be and the women who are doing anything but falling to their knees in worship before McCain because of how awful Obama was to Hillary Clinton. What?! I felt compelled to comment as well: Fastcat121, as a woman, I wouldn't vote for McCain strictly for the embarrassment to my gender that is Sarah Palin and for the undeniable factor that he chose her because she IS a woman ... as if that would mean I'd automatically vote for her strictly because we both have vag...s - a family she can't control (pregnant, unwed teen when she's so conservative, a soon-to-be-son-in-law that dropped out of highschool when Palin said before that there's no reason to not work through whatever and get your high school diploma), a brain she is being fed lines to follow (yay for setting women back so far) and the lack of a backbone to stick up for herself, her values and women as a whole is so SAD!

Let's go to a new topic - McCain, you're one old fuck! ... err, uhh ::insert something nice, Jen!!:: - I hope you all enjoyed the debate!

Expect More Videos

McCain, Palin, Tina Fey, SNL, The View, election, 2008

Expect a lot of videos until election day comes ... sure, clips can be edited, cut and other altered, but they're still informative and, biased or not, not half the bull these "supported" ads are filled with

"Straight Talk"

if you can't see the above, please go here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qnxuqj99y8c

"John McCain - One More Lie Can't Hurt..."

if you can't see the above, please go here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-pg5lsbBP4

and, just for the sheer entertainment of it:

:)
if you can't see the above, please go here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtFteTX69DA

"Win For Wolves"

It's the best possible news! The Bush Administration has just announced it intends to withdraw its plan to strip gray wolves of their endangered species protection in the Northern Rockies.

What a huge win for wolves AND for hundreds of thousands of online activists like you who share the credit for this amazing victory!

Let me bring you up to speed. Last March, the Bush Administration declared the Northern Rockies' wolf population "fully recovered," then it handed off responsibility for the wolves to Wyoming, Idaho and Montana. Just as we predicted, a bloodbath ensued, with 110 wolves slaughtered by state agents and hunters in as many days.

NRDC, Earthjustice and 11 other conservation groups raced to court and won an injunction that put a temporary halt to the killing until the full case could be heard. We fully expected to fight a drawn-out courtroom battle in order to win a permanent victory.

But thanks to the Bush Administration's surrender, that battle will NOT happen. Instead, the wolves of Yellowstone and the surrounding region will remain protected by federal law.

That means Wyoming, Montana and Idaho will NOT be allowed to begin the extermination of hundreds of wolves this fall as part of a massive public hunt -- the first in more than three decades. Instead, those wolves will continue to roam the Rockies -- wild and free -- as nature and the law intended!

Why did U.S. Fish and Wildlife officials throw in the towel? They had to face up to the fact that their case against wolf protection would never hold up in court. Above all, they ignored the best available science showing that wolf populations had not fully recovered.

In the end, the Administration had little choice but to put its tail between its legs and beat a hasty retreat.

Make no mistake: the fight doesn't end here. You can be sure the federal government will be back soon enough with a new plan. And the states will learn their lessons and return with yet another scheme for killing wolves.

But you can be equally sure that, with your help, NRDC will stand vigilant, fully prepared to meet and turn back any new and deadly threat.

In the meantime, please join me and all of us here at NRDC in celebrating this red-letter day in the storied history of the Endangered Species Act. It happened because you and thousands of others chose to stand up in defense of embattled wildlife. Thank you!

Sincerely,
Frances
Frances Beinecke
President
Natural Resources Defense Council