August 26, 2008 archive

Are you in Denver this week?

Meet Dennis and Elizabeth on Tuesday

Dear Friends,

Yesterday, kicked off what promises to be a great week for Kucinich supporters as we arrived in Denver for the Democratic National Convention. We will be reporting daily from Denver so keep an eye on our website for updates!

Tomorrow, Tuesday, Dennis will address the Democratic National Convention on the pressing issue of the Economy. Be sure to tune in at around 6:00pm ET.

This week too, both the New York Times Magazine (Sunday August 23) and the Washington Post Magazine (Sunday August 31) have special feature articles on your Voice in Congress, Dennis Kucinich.

Dennis will also be on a number of other shows this week including the Bill Maher Show, CNN, The Randi Rhodes Show, Hannity and Colmes. We will give you Dennis’ media appearance notifications on Twitter. (sign up to Twitter for the Kucinich feed here)

If you are in Denver this week, Dennis and I would like to meet you. We will be upstairs at the SkyLark Lounge on Tuesday night from 9pm – 10pm. It’s just going to be a fun and informal gathering.

RSVP necessary

SkyLark Lounge

 

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, Caroline.

My fellow Democrats, my fellow Americans, it is so wonderful to be here.

And nothing – nothing is going to keep me away from this special gathering tonight.

I have come here tonight to stand with you to change America, to restore its future, to rise to our best ideals, and to elect Barack Obama president of the United States.

As I look ahead, I am strengthened by family and friendship. So many of you have been with me in the happiest days and the hardest days. Together we have known success and seen setbacks, victory and defeat.

But we have never lost our belief that we are all called to a better country and a newer world. And I pledge to you – I pledge to you that I will be there next January on the floor of the United States Senate when we begin the great test.

Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you.

For me this is a season of hope – new hope for a justice and fair prosperity for the many, and not just for the few – new hope.

And this is the cause of my life – new hope that we will break the old gridlock and guarantee that every American – north, south, east, west, young, old – will have decent, quality health care as a fundamental right and not a privilege.

We can meet these challenges with Barack Obama. Yes, we can, and finally, yes, we will.

Barack Obama will close the book on the old politics of race and gender and group against group and straight against gay.

And Barack Obama will be a commander in chief who understands that young Americans in uniform must never be committed to a mistake, but always for a mission worthy of their bravery.

We are told that Barack Obama believes too much in an America of high principle and bold endeavor, but when John Kennedy called of going to the moon, he didn’t say it’s too far to get there. We shouldn’t even try.

Our people answered his call and rose to the challenge, and today an American flag still marks the surface of the moon.

Yes, we are all Americans. This is what we do. We reach the moon. We scale the heights. I know it. I’ve seen it. I’ve lived it. And we can do it again.

There is a new wave of change all around us, and if we set our compass true, we will reach our destination – not merely victory for our party, but renewal for our nation.

And this November the torch will be passed again to a new generation of Americans, so with Barack Obama and for you and for me, our country will be committed to his cause. The work begins anew. The hope rises again. And the dream lives on.

NPK mentioned that the music at the DNC was awful, so I thought I’d post something of an antidote.

Here is Yo La Tengo with Titus Andronicus, covering “Where Eagles Dare” by The Misfits at McCarren Park Pool in Brooklyn this weekend.

http://link.brightcove.com/ser…

Narratives are used to describe and shape many aspects of our lives some are subtle while others are direct. But, they are always there pushing and pulling us in directions known and unknown.  

By August of 2001 a narrative was developing that George W. Bush would be a one term president as he seemed overwhelmed by his office and uninterested in governance . What’s unfortunate is that the attacks of September 11, 2001 not only saved his presidency but changed the narrative from one of hope and opportunity to that of fear. Fear of our neighbors, fear of those who did not share their religious beliefs, fear of those whose dress or fashion were not theirs and fear of their government which at its founding was meant to be answerable to the people. Fear became then means to invade people’s privacy to accuse people of crimes they would never be convicted of. To hold, people indefinitely both citizen and noncitizen.  Fear became the means by which a government meant to be open was suddenly shrouded in secrecy.

Fear wasn’t the only narrative foisted upon Americans by this administration and the Republican Party. It became fashionable to deny that Global Warming was adversely affecting the earth’s climate.  Corporate power became so pervasive that consumer rights and protections were trashed without thought or consequence.  People just didn’t matter especially minorities as the governments response to hurricane Katrina proved.  The narrative projected was, wealth and power mattered the rest need not apply that being the other 95% of Americans.

Narratives change not always as fast we would like but they do change.

With the opening of the Democratic National Convention today in Denver the process has begun can if successful change the narratives of fear and haterd, remove secrecy from government, to bring back the rights of the accused to a fair trial in a court of law and not a kangaroo court. To end the fear of government and its invasive practices which have decimated large portions of the American Bill of Rights.  Changes cannot take place in a few short weeks or months but they can take place if you allow them to and are patient with your new leaders. Remember they are not the only ones needed to change this narrative you are needed as well.  

To get started:

From TalkLeft, Jeralyn gives her overview arriving in Denver for the Democratic Convention – with pictures!

TocqueDeville over at Daily Kos has put to music a political poem of Hunter’s.  Check it out.

From Dharmaniac meteoriot, posting as jakethorn at his blog Lose the Label, an audio of his original tune he posted at YouTube:

Hope you’re doing ok, meteoriot, and that we hear from you soon.

Please do not recommend this Open Thread!