2008 Woodie Awards
Obama leads 'movement of hope'
Gunnar Heinrich and Ben Traverse
Issue date: 2/6/08 Section: Opinion
Two Fridays ago, my friend Ben Traverse left work after a long day at the office. He got in his car and rather than undoing his tie and heading over to Georgetown to find some happiness at Happy Hour, he drove down Independence Avenue connecting to I-395.
Just as he crested the middle of the bridge that crosses the Potomac, all of Washington would have appeared behind him. The Jefferson Memorial, the Washington Monument and the White House; all glowing in the soft light that casts its golden evening hue over our nation's capital. That Friday night Ben Traverse was heading for South Carolina. Here's Ben's story and his pitch for Barack Obama.
Last weekend, I went to South Carolina where I witnessed a movement; a movement of hope led by Senator Barack Obama, who sees America in a way all of us know deep down in our hearts.
I drove through the night last Friday, from Washington to Columbia, to volunteer for a man who I believe can change America and the world. I knocked on doors in a "Get Out The Vote" effort that took me to neighborhoods I had never seen before in these United States - all houses the same: small, dull brick, unkempt yard, chipped sidewalk, unpaved driveway, poor. I met folks living in houses that looked abandoned, but to them, were a place called home. These folks didn't let their homes fall into disrepair because they don't give a damn, but because they don't have the money or, more importantly, the time to take care of what's important in life. These folks, like those of us more fortunate, return from a long, hard day of work, only to be forced to sacrifice spending time with family and friends, relaxing, cherishing life, in order to do the laundry, mow the yard, cook dinner, or pay the bills. Then, like many of us, these folks wake up to a broken government, broken healthcare system, broken wages, broken gas prices, or a good friend, son or daughter, niece or nephew, brother or sister, fighting and dying in a broken war overseas.
Just as he crested the middle of the bridge that crosses the Potomac, all of Washington would have appeared behind him. The Jefferson Memorial, the Washington Monument and the White House; all glowing in the soft light that casts its golden evening hue over our nation's capital. That Friday night Ben Traverse was heading for South Carolina. Here's Ben's story and his pitch for Barack Obama.
Last weekend, I went to South Carolina where I witnessed a movement; a movement of hope led by Senator Barack Obama, who sees America in a way all of us know deep down in our hearts.
I drove through the night last Friday, from Washington to Columbia, to volunteer for a man who I believe can change America and the world. I knocked on doors in a "Get Out The Vote" effort that took me to neighborhoods I had never seen before in these United States - all houses the same: small, dull brick, unkempt yard, chipped sidewalk, unpaved driveway, poor. I met folks living in houses that looked abandoned, but to them, were a place called home. These folks didn't let their homes fall into disrepair because they don't give a damn, but because they don't have the money or, more importantly, the time to take care of what's important in life. These folks, like those of us more fortunate, return from a long, hard day of work, only to be forced to sacrifice spending time with family and friends, relaxing, cherishing life, in order to do the laundry, mow the yard, cook dinner, or pay the bills. Then, like many of us, these folks wake up to a broken government, broken healthcare system, broken wages, broken gas prices, or a good friend, son or daughter, niece or nephew, brother or sister, fighting and dying in a broken war overseas.
Be the first to comment on this story