Don't Stay Silent
make sure you choose your President, Senators, and
Representatives carefully!
Voting does make a real American, doesn't it? If you are a citizen and choose not to take part in our democratic process (by not voting), what does that make you?
Back in 2000, when Gore won but lost the election, I decided that voting was useless. After the Republicans stormed the courthouse in Florida to make sure that the votes would not be recounted, it seemed that we were no longer the same country. Well, that may be even more true after eight years of bad administration from the person who took the election from Gore. The thing is, now is our chance. We can storm the polls in a good way. No, not in the form of a riot (like they did), but by voting -- everybody voting --- and toughing it out when the crazy voting machines go whacko and we are told that it will be another three hours waiting in line since there aren't enough working machines.
Determination has been the difference between parties these past few decades. As was mentioned on PBS last night, the Democrats don't have the intensity of the Republicans. If you start to lose your motivation think about a few things that you are dealing with in 2008:
1. someone listening to you talk to your mother or girlfriend
2. someone checking to see what books you borrow from the library
3. all the young American people who have died in Iraq
4. the million plus Iraqis who have died and the even more millions who wouldn't be allowed to immigrate to the United States
5. how your credit card company just let you know that they reduced your credit line
6. how your cousin or friend can't get financing for a house
7. how your neighbor can't sell his house
8. how your gasoline bill quadrupled and suddenly went down again (it could happen again!)
9. how you run the risk of getting searched every time you decide to take a plane
10. how your friend or cousin from Latin America gets detained for hours at the airport every time they visit the United States
11. how if you are traveling over seas - you are embarrassed to say you are an American
see Dream Act Texas post "Are you are Real American?" October 22, 2008
Immigrants the new face of 'real America'
By GEBE MARTINEZ | 10/28/08 4:53 AM EDT
...New Americans, the fastest-growing voting bloc, are naturalized immigrants, mostly Hispanic, and the U.S.-born children of immigrants since 1965, according to a recent report by the Immigration Policy Center.
If political pollsters, campaign strategists, and civil rights and immigrants’ advocates are correct, these newer citizens will shatter voting records next week....
America, the nation of immigrants, “is alive and well,” said Angela Kelley, director of the Immigration Policy Center. “They are naturalizing in record numbers, they swear allegiance to the United States, are registering to vote and are expected to turn out in an unprecedented force.”
How GOP wrangling over who is a “real” American plays among this group is unclear, but narrowing the definition could backfire.
“I’m not sure what they mean by ‘real Americans,’ but I am sure that new Americans — naturalized immigrants plus their U.S.-born kids — are acting very American,” Kelley said. “What’s more American than making America your own plus participating in her great democracy?” complete article
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