I've made the decision to go the One Nation Working Together March on Washington on October 2nd, 2010. I've never been to political march before and I never thought I would ever go to one. But it's time.
I have not always been a politically aware or politically active person. Here's a timeline of my voting record for President since I turned 18 in June of 1986.
1988 - Didn't vote. I didn't think it mattered all that much and didn't really care.
1992 - Voted for Ross Perot. It was fashionable to be anti-politics at the time and it was easier than actually learning about the issues.
1996 - Didn't vote. I had just moved from NYC to Cleveland, Ohio and I forgot to register. Again, I just didn't care about politics that much.
2000 - Voted for Gore. Things were going pretty well in America at the time and I didn't see a need for change. Plus, there was something about George Bush that really got under my skin. This election was an eye opener for me. Votes matter.
2004 - Passionately voted for Kerry. I was devastated when he lost and simply couldn't understand how Bush could get re-elected? I had really studied the issues this election and I felt strongly about my vote. I was left with the feeling that I didn't do enough and promised myself that I would volunteer for my candidate the next time.
2008 - Campaigned for Obama in the primary and followed the results like a political junkie. I continued to volunteer and donate money to his campaign throughout the election and put everything else in my life on hold until the election was over.
November 4, 2008 was a beautiful day and one that I will never forget. We had elected a thinking man to be our President - a man with integrity and intelligence who only had the best of intentions for our country. As the months passed, I remained engaged. Despite the struggling economy, I have never lost faith and my respect for Barack Obama has remained as strong as ever.
I made calls for health care reform and was happy with the outcome. With the passage of Health Insurance reform, I was able to quit my job and purchase my own insurance on the open market. Even though all I could afford was a high deductible catastrophe plan, the new legislation requires insurers to cover all preventative care at 100%. So, my husband and I have been able to continue with annual visits and check ups at no cost, despite having a high deductible. And starting this month, I cannot be dropped from my insurance if I get sick. The reform act is not perfect, but for someone who is buying their insurance on their own, it is a huge and positive change.
I don't know when it happened, but something in me changed for the worse. Perhaps I've read too many negative diaries on the Daily Kos and other blogs. But for the last few months I have felt extremely burnt out on politics. I'm tired of the negativity and have not felt like canvassing or volunteering for the 2010 elections. My support for President Obama has remained strong, but I just haven't had the energy to engage and I'm tired of the hate. Over the years I've grown to enjoy healthy political debate. But the tone of the far right has changed, and the hatred is overwhelming to me.
A couple of weeks ago, I heard about the One Nation March. For the first time since the election, I see a chance for unity and an opportunity to re-ignite the passion that was so strong just a few years ago. This President has not been perfect, but he has been a damn good President and an honest and thoughtful leader. The goal of the Republicans has been to break our spirit and we can't allow it to happen. I'm going to the One Nation March and I will show them that I am still here, fighting for my country, my fellow citizens, and my President. I hope you'll join me.