Inspiration: New President Barack Obama!

Today I am inspired and proud of a man that I can say with confidence is MY president, OUR president of the United States of America.

President Obama said in his inaugural speech:

Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends - hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism - these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility - a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.

This is the price and the promise of citizenship.

This is the source of our confidence - the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.

This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed - why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent mall, and why a man whose father less than sixty years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.

So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have traveled.

You can read the full text of President Barack Obama's speech here.

President Obama acknowledged (highlighted passage above) his race and how important this step is for American's with a minority background. As an American Indian, Alaska Native, I feel that his presidency is a huge step forward and that it marks what will no longer be unheard-of; that those individuals of a minority race will seek and achieve positions where their voices will be heard and respected. We now have a new mentor, a new hero for our youth, and been inspired by the powers of grassroots organization to be the force of change. This one huge step can only remain so if we continue walking. Now is the time to work even harder for equal rights for all citizens regardless of race, gender or sexual identity. Join the Fight for Equality!

photo credit: Obama taking the presidential oath of office, picture from here.

Runway to Change

Check out the goods on the Runway for Change!photo credit: Change scarf by Alexander Wang; Jan. 20th bowtie shirt by Zac Posen

Weekend: History Made and Futures Created

This weekend I will be pondering the great change that our country embarked on this past November 4th, 2008. Have a good weekend!

photo credit: collage of Nov. 5th newspaper headlines from PollieGraph

Yes. We. Can.

I am having trouble putting into words the emotions I felt on Tuesday night. Maybe I need a few more days to reflect. Instead, I wanted to share with you Obama's last rally in Manassas, Virginia.

Las Vegas, NV: Poll Watching and Canvassing

TEB and I felt the need to do something on election day (that is us above waiting for the results at the Rio Casino). On Monday afternoon four of us piled in my Subaru and drive the 5 hours to Las Vegas. We met for a poll watcher and canvassing training that evening and then went straight to our hotel to get organized for the following day. Everything becomes a blur at this point because I got no sleep - probably mostly from election insomnia but the super sweaky, spring-in-your-back-bed definitely did not help.

Finally, we all got up at 5 am, turned on CNN and got ready to head to our polling precinct stations around 6:30p. The poll watching was uneventful but served its purpose of making us feel useful and prevented me from checking the internet for result speculations.

In the afternoon we went canvassing in a local neighborhood. The good news at this point was that most of the people on our Democratic's Voting for Obama list, had already voted. I do think that we reminded a few people to get to the polls as the evening hour crept closer to poll closing time, 7pm. We checked on a nearby voting location to make sure there was not a line. Things seemed pretty quiet, as they were most of the day. I think the majority of voters had done early voting or had waited in lines in the early morning.

At this point we had been going straight for about 14 hours but we raced down to the RIO Casino where the Nevada Democratic Party was congregating to watch the results come it. This quite possibly made the whole trip worth it. We were in a huge room with thousands of people who had spent weeks, or even months, working on getting out the vote for Obama in Nevada. Though we were only there for one day, I still felt a big part of this energy that turned Nevada BLUE!

photo credit: HN 11.04.08

Poll Closing Times

photo credit: image from Swing State Project website

{Cayenne is driving for change to Nevada. All posts the next few days have been pre-scheduled and comments will be moderated after November 5th.}

VOTE NOV. 4TH!

Go VOTE!

{Cayenne is driving for change to Nevada. All posts the next few days have been pre-scheduled and comments will be moderated after November 5th.}

Alaska Native: Right to Vote 1956

Are you thinking, "did she really say 1956?" Yup, I did. I was reminded by Alaska Real written by Writing Raven about these astonishing facts:

"First democratically elected leader of this country: 1789

Black men gained right to vote: 1870 (though some years before this was a reality, not just law)

Most women gained right to vote: 1920

Native people gain citizenship (not right to vote): 1924

All Native people gain right to vote (at least in New Mexico and Arizona): 1947
Native people can vote in Alaska without provisions (literacy tests, giving up culture): 1956"

The picture above is of my grandmother (right), her good friend, and her sister. In 1956 my father was 10 years old. My grandmother would have remembered what it was like to not be able to vote, which is why I have her picture above.

photo credit: Nulato Elder Singers by Beverly

{Cayenne is driving for change to Nevada. All posts the next few days have been pre-scheduled and comments will be moderated after November 5th.}

Vote + Free Scoop Ice Cream!

Think about this: get up tomorrow and go vote. Then you head over to Starbucks to get your free morning coffee. In the evening you can go to Ben & Jerry's to get a FREE scoop of ice cream, find your nearest Ben & Jerry's here. Sounds like a pretty good day, eh? So GO VOTE!

{Cayenne is driving for change to Nevada. All posts the next few days have been pre-scheduled and comments will be moderated after November 5th.}

Vote + Free Starbucks

tipped off by The Huffington Post here.

{Cayenne is driving for change to Nevada. All posts the next few days have been pre-scheduled and comments will be moderated after November 5th.}

Las Vegas, NV: Driving for Change

TEB, myself, and friends are driving for change! Click here to find a volunteer event near you.

I have several pre-scheduled posts that will be going up while I am away. I will moderate and respond to comments when I get back 11.05.08.

OBAMA Posters @ Upper Playground Store

Check out the Upper Playground Store here for some great posters created in support of Obama.

photo credit: HOPE poster by Cody Hudson of Chicago

Sedaris on "Undecided" Voters

Undecided? Read the "Undecided" article by David Sedaris in The New Yorker here.

"To put [undecided voters] in perspective, I think of being on an airplane. The flight attendant comes down the aisle with her food cart and, eventually, parks it beside my seat. “Can I interest you in the chicken?” she asks. “Or would you prefer the platter of shit with bits of broken glass in it?”

To be undecided in this election is to pause for a moment and then ask how the chicken is cooked.

I mean, really, what’s to be confused about?"

photo credit: Illustration by ZOHAR LAZAR in the October 27th Shouts & Murmurs section of The New Yorker

Obama on Etsy

Here are some of my favorite etsy creations that remind me of the Campaign for Change.

From left to right, top to bottom: Barack Obama Coin Purse by Faddy Bogart; Barack the Donkey - Democratic Election bib by Ninabina; Be the Change tiny text bowl by Palomasnest; Wooden Inlay Obama Pin by Obama Stuff; BELIEVE graffiti shirt by Artbymags; Barack Obama Barrettes by Maragreenaway found via The Scoop

ObamaBATS

Want a new printers ornament? Check out these ObamaBATS created by Jeff Domke here. He created these using pictures he found on the web. My favorite is "B" and you can download them all for free.

photo credit: Jeff Domke website found via GAMIL

Weekend: Obama Lanterns

Yes we Carve! Have a good weekend.

photo credit: TEB 10.31.08

Yes We Carve: Barack O'Lantern

Go to the Yes We Carve website to download stencils to carve your own Barack O'Lantern. Send in a picture and you will be entered to win an ipod nano. I might just have to try it myself tonight.

photo credit: all images posted on Yes We Carve

San Diego, CA: Absentee Vote by Mail

Have you mailed your absentee ballot? Go do it now!

With only 7 days to go until election day, there is not much time to put your absentee ballot in the mail. It must reach the Registrar of Voters (RoV) by 8 pm on Tuesday, November 4th. At this point I would just drive directly to the RoV and hand it in myself. You can also vote in person at the RoV all this week and weekend, see more info on their website.

Registrar of Voters, 5201 Ruffin Road, Suite I, San Diego, 92123
Phone number: 858-565-5800
Hours: Monday, October 6, 2008, and continue through Election Day from 8 am to 5 pm. This includes being open Saturday and Sunday during those same times.

I spent a few hours yesterday filling out my absentee ballot. I found several resources that were helpful to figure out the different sides for and against the huge number of propositions and on all the city council seats for my area, see Courage Campaign and SmartVoter. For the propositions with environmental impact I used the San Francisco Planning and Urban Research voter guide.

photo credit: Cayenne 10.28.08

Point Reyes, CA: HOPE

I went old school tonight and listened to the final presidential debate on the radio. Watch it online here.

I saw this building on our Birthday Roadtrip (see here for Part I). It was too dark to take a picture but flickr came to the rescue...someone else thought it was inspiring too.

photo credit: HOPE by The Great California Migrants

VOTE: Are you registered?

I am. The time to register to VOTE is now. Please check to make sure that you are registered.

Alaska - Deadline Passed October 4th, must register 30 days before the election

Calfornia - must be postmarked by October 20th or use any of the online tools below!

Nevada - register in person by October 14th, find a location by clicking here

Oregon - register by October 14th

Washington - register in person by October 20th, find your county auditor to register in person by clicking here, check to see if you are already registered or to change your address using MyVote

Residents of any state can register to Vote For Change by clicking here or register at Rock the Vote by clicking here.

photo credit: I am. by Leaca's Philosophy