On Thanksgiving day

Grateful for being alive, having friends with whom I share this day, having a home even for only today are only the few of the reasons why I am thankful. I am thankful for all the experiences of my live, having been born in North Africa when traffic lights, taxis, refrigerators and air conditioners were unknown to us. It was the time of horse-and-buggy, ice boxes and ceiling fans. Time when families took long walks at night under the soft breeze of summer days, when our cities slowed down early afternoons and the sound of singing crickets was our nights. from that time gone long ago, I have not taken for granted what I have today. Instead, I appreciate what I have and I know that whom I have become and what I fight for has the continuity of the peace I once perceived growing up. For this, yes today was a good Thanksgiving day.

War on Equality

Bravo Candace, you told your brother all right! And while the Mormon Church is being investigated for its Campaign activities and the Conservative bigots rejoice for their victory in California, WE the People have much work to do if we dare saying that We are proud to be Americans!
Brian S. Brown, executive Director of "National Organization For Marriage" , in a letter to his followers, wrote "There will be more battles ahead. In this fallen world, temporary victories are the only kind. " Marriage Victory: YOU WON!!!
Fallen world? Perhaps the LGBT population should have their own Guantanamo? After all anyone who threatens people should be considered a terrorist. If "We are on the verge of changing something that has been the norm for thousands of years. This decision is such an important matter it could potentially alter the course of history…by redefining the family."Just think about the damages according to Catholic Life Group of Sacramento.
While the validity of Proposition 8 is going to be challenged and I hope that the ballot will be reversed, California is not America. We need to challenge the so-called right of the religious bigots and once for all assure the Separation of Church and State from coast to coast.
A First Amendment Primer

Change I want to believe in

The guy is not yet in the White House and already gets tons of criticism . Preemptive and unjust attacks? Leon Panetta ( White House chief of staff under President Clinton said , "The ultimate test of whether we can change is whether he can govern, we won't know that until he walks into the Oval Office and makes the decisions that tell us who he really is." For half of Americans who voted for Obama , hope should not die because of Obama's choices in his Cabinet appointments. Let's face it, no matter what he does he won't please everyone. From my friends on the Left I hear treason. It is not so. We were strong supporters of Dennis Kucinich , where did this take us? America is not ready for a leftist government! We were called - and still are for so many of us- Communists! But, for our sake lets give Obama a chance. And as he proposes, lets begin the conversation "Of the People By the People"
We got what we wanted, so on January 20, 2009 lets celebrate our victory and strongly continue to believe that YES, WE CAN!

Focus on positive set Obama apart from Palin

This was in response to:
http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=OTNkNmFjNWFiZDNhZDQxNmM1MWQ3OWU3ZGM1YTg2YmQ=

In “Why Palin matters to Americans,” Kathryn Lopez asks, “We’ll never know what could have been in a straight-on Obama vs. Palin contest.”Poor Ms. Lopez cannot accept the fact that it is because of Palin that many conservative Republicans voted for Obama! But I do agree with Ms. Lopez that Sarah Palin offered something different than Obama, much different: She incited hatred in her rallies (remember “Kill him” and “Head off!” or the chant of “John McCain, not Hussein” in Florida and in Pa?). She lied (and Ms. Lopez is supporting her lies) when she said Obama was “palling around with terrorists,” suggesting Obama and Bill Ayers were friends. Palin offered many Swiftboat-like attacks against Obama because she had nothing to offer but her charm (sic) and her child born with Down syndrome, whom she carried as a prop everywhere she went, her way to make sure no one forgets she is against abortion.All of this and more, while Obama was consistently speaking about his plan to build up our economy and giving us hope for a better America. And that was really what mattered to Americans.
Monique Frugier
http://www.delcotimes.com/articles/2008/11/21/opinion/doc492630bdba94b737541586.txt

Time to (NOT) consider Palin

Poor Ms. Lopez, cannot accept the fact that it is because of Palin that many Conservative Republicans voted for Obama! I do agree with Ms. Lopez that Sarah Palin offered something different than Obama, much different: She incited hatred in her rallies ( remember "Kill him" and "Head off!" or the chant of "John McCain, not Hussein"in Florida and in Pa?), she lied ( and Ms. Lopez is supporting her lies) when she said that Obama was "palling around with terrorists", suggesting that Obama and Bill Ayers were friends. Palin offered many Swiftboat-like attacks against Obama because she had nothing to offer but her charm (sic) and her child , born with Down Syndrome, whom she carried as a prop everywhere she went, her way to make sure that no one forgets that she is against abortion. All of this and more, while Obama was consistently speaking about his plan to build-up our economy and giving us hope for a better America. Ms. Lopez should have her head examined.

Where do we go from here?

When one of the first questions being asked a candidate is to define his religious beliefs and when this candidate find himself obliged to answer in a way that pleases the "believers" and when this is what happens in America over and over again, where do we go from there? I dream of the day when a candidate would have the courage to say "it's not your business" and take the chance to lose a nomination. That will be a start to honor!
When "In God We Trust" is printed our money, making millions of Americans a bunch of liars, where do we go from there?
How hypocrites can we be when we denounce and wage wars on extremists yet use religion as "moral value" while bombing Iraq for a bunch of lies? How hypocrites can we be when we denounce abortions saying that we value life yet kill the souls of millions of gays and lesbians by not allowing them to adopt children and/or giving them the right to be treated equal as human beings ?
And now we have Sarah Palin who speaks about putting her life in her creator's hands Oh brother! I wonder if her "creator" put words in her mouth when she accused Barack Obama to have ties with terrorists and if her "creator" zipped her mouth when she heard someone yelled "kill him" or "head off" during her rallies! Want to discuss morality, Sarah?
Soon Obama will be inaugurated President but America will continue its so-called "Moral war" and I have enough! If you think that things are bad just wait 2012. But if you want to help bring REAL change in America, my friends ( sic) you better join me and fight for SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE.
This is a good start to begin from here - today-

BECAUSE WE COULD

The past few days' events feel surreal. Yesterday I drove by the Obama's headquarter in Ardmore where I went many times since it opened, bringing food for the staffers and volunteers, writing paper pads, envelopes and what ever they needed and that I could afford to give. This is where I signed to canvass and send people who wanted to do same and pick-up yard signs. Crazy as it may be but I miss the text messages from the campaign I was getting everyday on my cell phone and I fell sad to see the headquarter slowing getting empty after Obama's victory. But I am keeping my Obama ring tone "America, it's time to bring our troops home".
What a ride this experience was and how many late nights spent watching the news, reading of another possible stolen election! From the beginning of the campaign I told myself that I would not pay attention to the polls reminding myself of 2004. Whom was I kidding? In short, I put my personal life on hold, my kitchen table soon covered with mails I did not bother to open - most were bills not due yet- and the rest junk I would discard later. At work Obama was the talk of each day, the debates and the horror coming out of the McCain campaign. Everywhere I went I made sure I directed conversations on the elections , always carrying a bunch of registrations and a few bumper stickers. On my last day of canvassing I took this picture

Laurie, my canvassing partner of the day (Monday Nov.3), and I were in our township (Haverford) knocking at doors in neighboroughs both of us did not know existed. This last day was an eye opener of the divide among us and so close by. I should have taken a pic. of the streets we walked then. The house next to the one above had a Virgin Mary statue by the front door and this was one of the home we were to visit. For sure I thought the people would have rejected us but to my surprise the whole family was supporting Obama! YEAH! We were told that they did not want to put an Obama sign on their lawn for fear of the people supporting McCain - all of them "prolifers" and in adoration with Sarah Palin. A young man came out of the next door house with a small dog on a leach, said hello because we greeted him but when he realized what we were doing and saw the t-shirt I was wearing ( Obama's face with the writing "That One" underneath) he visibly became angry. Later on we crossed path with him again as he was walking back , dog barking pulling on the leach toward us. Laurie crossed the street, I continued walking and as the man and his dog came closer I smiled and looking at the animal said "why are you barking?" to which the man responded in a loud voice "He barks because he does not like your t-shirt and what's written on it!" blabla, we exchanged a few words, his "baby killer" me" war supporter" ( tss..tsss..I know, I know better than not to engage with such people but I could not help it.) Laurie was right, the guy could have had a gun on him or even go to his home and get one. We were done our work in that area and rushed to the car en route to another street.

At another home a woman told us that her brother living next door was supporting McCain and that she was trying hard to convince him to change his mind. Same thing there : No Obama lawn sign. In fact in that area we did not see any, just here and there a small sign at a window. That day most homes had their shutters closed, either people were at work or they did not want to get bothered. But we did get the chance to speak to a few and get positive feedbacks.

The day before was a better day for me. A much different area of Haverford, many good conversations and so much enthusiasm. The best experience I had was when I distributed lawn signs for Greg Vitali (my State Representative) in Ardmore. On my list of homes to go to was the one that had a Bush/Cheney (twice) on its lawn. I remember too well this house with all kind of patriotic signs : American flag, Vietnam veteran sign and "Support the Troops". All minus the Bush/Cheney were still there but this household was supporting Obama and our Democrats. Bravo!

At work I made sure everyone was registered and made a pest of myself questioning everyone if they knew their polling place and later on verified the answers I got. One of my coworkers was going to vote for McCain because her husband told her he was the right guy to vote for. That was about 6 months before the elections. Guess what? she and her husband changed their mind and even asked me for Obama's buttons! SMILE!

And here we are today. Me, with a huge stye on my left eye - my usual sign of maximum stress- But hey! all was worth it!
This week end, I am cleaning my garden. Bills are paid, kitchen table is cleared. For a little while I am taking my life back. More to do later on, but one day at a time!
WE DID IT!