Like many of you, I have been inspired to support Barack Obama. I feel passionately that he is our best hope for a positive change in our country and the world around us. I am encouraged that my 64 year old previously Bush-loving, Republican father is considering Obama (but would never vote for HRC in a million years).
I believe that Obama is the only candidate who can transcend political and generational lines.
For further evidence, read this story in the Rocky Mountain News today about a young man named Neal Kornreich. 12 years old! Who is currently a precinct captain in Boulder, Colorado. At 12, I was more concerned with playing baseball and riding my bike. Neal is looking forward to becoming a delegate to the DNC convention this summer!
Without prompting, he wrote a three page letter to Obama, mentioning the issues that mean the most to him – the environment, the United States' reputation in the world, and stem-cell research. He didn't expect a reply.
Shortly afterward, a terrible bicycle accident left him in a wheelchair. As he struggled to learn to walk again, his mother, Jeanette, remembered one of his therapists asking him about his greatest fear.
"That I'll live an average life," he said. "I want to make a difference."
Within days of that conversation, a personal letter arrived with Barack Obama's signature – a letter that read, in part, "I leave you with three bits of advice that will make your life more fulfilling: Look out for other people, even when it does not directly benefit you; strive to make a difference everywhere you go; and get back up every time you are knocked down."
"Whenever I felt bad, I would read it," Neal said. "and those lines were always inspirational."
We need more people like Neal Kornreich. Reading this sort of thing reinforces the feeling that Obama has the power to move young and old to action. I hope you agree and act on your feelings.
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(UPDATE) Thanks for the rec list. My very first one. If you have an extra few minutes, perhaps you could offer some balance to the comments in the Rocky Mountain News article. Free registration required. I'm sure Neal and his friends and family would love the support.