❧❧❧ Whatever you can do or dream, you can BEGIN IT. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Goethe ❧❧❧
❧❧❧ You were born whole, not broken. Sandra Hammel ❧❧❧
........................................ New Hampshire Primary Night Speech on January 8, 2008 Although I live in Rhode Island, I volunteered the week running up to the New Hampshire primary and I was at this event.
Although the country is in a mess, which affects the entire world, many of us have a renewed spirited feeling that all is not lost. The_Little_Engine_That_Could
The story of the little engine has been told and retold many times. The underlying theme however is the same - a stranded train is unable to find an engine willing to take it on over difficult terrain to its destination. Only the little blue engine is willing to try, and while repeating the mantra "I think I can, I think I can" overcomes a seemingly impossible task.
An early version goes as follows;
A little railroad engine, played by none other than Robert Seabourne, was employed about a station yard for such work as it was built for, pulling a few cars on and off the switches. One morning it was waiting for the next call when a long train of freight-cars asked a large engine in the roundhouse to take it over the hill "I can't; that is too much a pull for me," said the great engine built for hard work. Then the train asked another engine, and another, only to hear excuses and be refused. In desperation, the train asked the little switch engine to draw it up the grade and down on the other side. "I think I can," puffed the little locomotive, and put itself in front of the great heavy train. As it went on the little engine kept bravely puffing faster and faster, "I think I can, I think I can, I think I can."
As it neared the top of the grade, which had so discouraged the larger engines, it went more slowly. However, it still kept saying, "I--think--I--can, I--think--I--can." It reached the top by drawing out bravery and then went on down the grade, congratulating itself by saying, "I thought I could, I thought I could."
It is a time when "common sense" is so uncommon, that it is rare. And in the USA, justice for the federal administration is just an obstacle to dodge. Fabrications of stories are a daily routine to hide the truth of what our government is doing, not only behind closed doors, but blatantly in front of our faces. President Bush and Vice President Cheney are banking on the fact that we are too busy with our lives to notice. And our media stopped investigative reporting on 9/11. *Torture is being redefined so that the torture that Bush has already approved of, even though it is illegal, can be legal. Our freedoms have been thrown out because it is claimed that we have to forfeit our liberties, constitutional rights and the backbone of our shared values for the sake of our security.
I believe that when we are told we have to sell our souls to save our souls that something is drastically wrong. We need to get a grip. We need to get our noses into our government and change some things. William Wilberforce to Thomas Clarkson in the movie Amazing Grace: "You must never speak of revolution in my presence ever again." But Clarkson calls Wilberforce on this very issue of revolution. Thomas Jefferson said: “Every generation needs a new revolution.” And I think we have allowed our government to flail without our oversight for far too long and need a revolution within our nation. But first we must be informed. “Whenever the people are well-informed, they can be trusted with their own government. Thomas Jefferson
I don't want to hear "But HOW are we going to pay for it?" when it comes to the ideas to make this nation stronger in any way other than militarily. No one talks about the cost of the war. And the costs are enough to strangle us. If this was Osama_bin_Laden's goal to get us into this state, then George W Bush and Dick Cheney cowboyed us right into the palms of his hands. ........................................................
"Constitutional liberties ~ use them or lose them." Sandra Hammel ……………………………………..
……………………………………..
"...I think the American people should know whose paying for people's politics....I bring the experience of speaking out, even when it's not comfortable...standing up to special interests, speaking truth to power ~ those are the experiences, I bring to bear to the Presidency of the United States of America"
...this campaign can't just be about me, it must be about us...
This campaign has to be about reclaiming the meaning of citizenship... and realizing that few obstacles can withstand the power of millions of voices calling for change......" Barack Obama
So, it's Christmas time and my son and I will be celebrating it as we have been doing since the second year he moved in ~ on Christmas Eve. The first year he was picked up from his foster family on Christmas day at 4:00 p.m.
So I wrapped his presents last night and bought some more today. Tomorrow, I will be cooking in advance.
But at the same time, I am preparing for my first ever campaigning participation. I will be driving up to New Hampshire January 3rd to help the Obama for America campaign throughout the night January 8. Iowa's caucus is January 3rd and New Hampshire's primary is January 8th. As this is my first time ~ I am excited.
And you can join us ~ New Hampshire ~ Barack Obama .............................................................
............................................................. Our Moment is Now The Rhode Island Secretary of State's Office has officially certified enough of the signatures given to them by local boards of canvassers to qualify Barack Obama for the March 4th Rhode Island primary. When we hit the finish line, others were just getting out of the gate. The Hillary Clinton supporters were in second place with 178 of the required 1,000 certified signatures. But now Hillary Clinton has gained more signatures: Rhode Island Secretary of State ~ Candidates for President Petitions for Ballot .............................................................
............................................................. Lilah Bell of Iowa is going to be 100 years old in July and is caucusing for Barack Obama. It is her first time to participate, too.
We the People need to be a part of the process or our government will continue to belong to the paid lobbyists.
. . . I want to stop. I just can't. I want to be less political on my posts. But. . . I mean, how can I? I can't help it. Well, I suppose I could, if I really felt it mattered that much.
................................................................. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNoc0tKeXOQ Senator Clinton on not attacking other Democrats This might be more relevant today
I am from a family of republicans. I am a democrat. That's right ~ I jumped to a different mindset, a different path, different political values. If I am defining myself, it would have to include a lover of music, dance, arts, theatre, writing, human rights, the spirit of Matthew 25 in the Bible and the Golden Rule.
I've been a mismatch from the beginning. I am so arts-centered. No one else in my family is. Knowing what is going on in the state government, the national government or the world is not something my family members talk about. It just doesn't register in as important to their daily lives, as far as I've ever been able to tell. My mother told me she gets her news from the 700 Club. You know Pat Robertson at CBN. The preacher-politician that said the following:
"You know, I don't know about this doctrine of assassination, but if he thinks we're trying to assassinate him, I think that we really ought to go ahead and do it. It's a whole lot cheaper than starting a war ... We have the ability to take him out, and I think the time has come that we exercise that ability. We don't need another $200 billion war to get rid of one, you know, strong-arm dictator. It's a whole lot easier to have some of the covert operatives do the job and then get it over with." –Pat Robertson, calling for the assassination of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez
Followed by "Wait a minute, I didn't say 'assassination.' I said our special forces should 'take him out,' and 'take him out' can be a number of things, including kidnapping." –Pat Robertson, clarifying his call to assassinate Hugo Chavez
Followed by "Is it right to call for assassination? No, and I apologize for that statement. I spoke in frustration that we should accommodate the man who thinks the U.S. is out to kill him." –Pat Robertson
AND "(T)he feminist agenda is not about equal rights for women. It is about a socialist, anti-family political movement that encourages women to leave their husbands, kill their children, practice witchcraft, destroy capitalism and become lesbians." –Pat Robertson ..................................................................................................................................................http://youtube.com/watch?v=eYeY_GoQs2M Bob Schieffer's Commentary On Pat Robertson, God And Rudy
I got off the subject I intended to focus on. And that is the Hillary Clinton slinging of stupid stuff about Barack Obama. I started out saying this campaign season, I'm not against Hillary, but I am for Barack Obama. Years ago, when Bill Clinton was running for President and a fellow teacher implied that Hillary was so unlikeable and that she was the political ambitious animal. I always remembered this because this teacher always seemed so detached from conflict and controversy. Someone who didn't find fault with others.
Now, I like Hillary less and less every time I see a debate or see her on the news.
. . . Enter the kindergarten-days-reach by Hillary of Barack's 5 year old ambition to become President. I don't remember what I wanted to be in kindergarten. Once I wanted to be a nurse. But I was young and didn't realize that was in no way going to happen because I am not good around blood. Digressing again.Just the other day, Mrs. Clinton brought up that Obama's childhood had no bearing on his Presidential campaign . . . .
"Hillary racheted up her argument that she's got more experience than Obama in a big way today, saying the following to voters in Iowa today:
“I believe I have the right kind of experience to be the next President. With a war and a tough economy, we need a President ready on Day One to bring our troops home from Iraq and to handle all of our other tough challenges.
“Now voters will judge whether living in a foreign country at the age of 10 prepares one to face the big, complex international challenges the next President will face. I think we need a President with more experience than that."
Here is the Hillary Clinton's Press Release of 12/2/2007:
Sen. Obama Rewrites History, Claims He Hasn't Been Planning White House Run
Today in Iowa, Senator Barack Obama said: "I have not been planning to run for President for however number of years some of the other candidates have been planning for."
Oh really?
"Senator Obama's comment today is fundamentally at odds with what his teachers, family, classmates and staff have said about his plans to run for President," Clinton spokesperson Phil Singer said. "Senator Obama's campaign rhetoric is getting in the way of his reality."Read more
In third grade, Senator Obama wrote an essay titled 'I Want To Be a President.' His third grade teacher: Fermina Katarina Sinaga "asked her class to write an essay titled 'My dream: What I want to be in the future.' Senator Obama wrote 'I want to be a President,' she said." [The Los Angeles Times, 3/15/07]
In kindergarten, Senator Obama wrote an essay titled 'I Want to Become President.' "Iis Darmawan, 63, Senator Obama's kindergarten teacher, remembers him as an exceptionally tall and curly haired child who quickly picked up the local language and had sharp math skills. He wrote an essay titled, 'I Want To Become President,' the teacher said." [AP, 1/25/07 ]
That's right. Essays written in the kindergarten and the third grade, which are sure to one day find a permanent home at the National Archives, are being cited by the Clinton campaign as proof that Obama's bloodthirsty presidential ambitions began as a plot hatched between naptime and snack. "If only the many, many people who want to vote for him in Iowa knew," reasons the Clinton campaign.
By JOSH GERSTEIN Staff Reporter of the Sun December 3, 2007
With a new poll showing that Senator Obama of Illinois may be overtaking Senator Clinton in the early presidential caucus state of Iowa, Mrs. Clinton's camp is taking the unusual step of reaching all the way back to Mr. Obama's kindergarten days to find evidence of his duplicity about how long he has had designs on the White House.
Aides to Mrs. Clinton lashed out at Mr. Obama's claim, which he repeated yesterday, that he only recently decided to mount a presidential bid. Read more http://www.nysun.com/article/67350
I love my life. I love where I live. And I am passionate about my passions. I love to dance. Necessary to live: music, piano, singing, writing, acting, painting.
I have been fighting for and supporting the arts all my adult life. Since 2004, I have been working with other activists to end the Darfur genocide.
I have traveled to Europe many times since my early twenties. Places I have been: many USA states including Hawaii, Montreal, Canada, Barbados, France, Spain, Luxembourg, England, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Greece and Germany - and have wonderful memories.
My last trip was in May - June 2013 to Spain.
I would like to travel to Europe and Kyoto, Japan.
I love the southwest where I have visited Hopi, Navajo, Zia and San Idlefonso potters.
Life is exciting and I intend to live it full-out to the end.
B.S. and M.M., both in music
................................................
Khartoum, Sudan Stop Genocide Time
................................................
Spain Time
................................................
Melbourne Time
................................................
Hawaii Time
...............................................
...............................................
RAFA NADAL -BRING BACK LONG PANTS - SLEEVELESS TOPS
Double Click on Videos to Enlarge
Darfur - The Abandoned Genocide - a video by Sandra Hammel
Want to help? Call 1~800~GENOCIDE
"May I Suggest" by Susan Werner
Satchita - Playing for Change
Stand By Me ~ Playing for Change
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Genocide is not only a word,
it is crying of the whole human race.
There is nothing redeeming about being silent
when speaking up is the humane thing to do.
The honor and integrity of the human race is at stake.
If you click on them, they will enlarge.
December 3, 2007 05:41 PM