Yes We Can!
Why I Joined the Obama Movement
Helenna Santos
Yes We Can.
Three simple words that bring tears to my eyes
and make me tingle every single time
I hear them or say them.
I always felt like I was born in the wrong era. I should have been a hippie dancing at Woodstock and protesting against Vietnam. I should have been wearing a flower in my hair on my way to San Francisco in a VW van while singing out “All We Need is Love.” It was always a dream of mine to be a part of a movement that would open people’s eyes and help change the world. All this time I thought I was born 30 years too late and missed my chance. Boy was I wrong.
Turns out I was born at exactly the right time and in exactly the right place–which just happened to be the United States of America. Being a dual citizen I spent most of my life in Vancouver, BC, Canada wondering how on earth things could go so wrong in America. I wavered between feeling angry any country could end up in such a broken state, and apathetic toward any idea of change. It just seemed too hard. My husband and I moved back to Los Angeles in August of 2007 and I quickly realized there was a pulse underneath this nation. A pulse beating for something vibrant, something new, and for the truth finally being spoken to its people. This was when Barack Obama came into my life.
I had just finished watching an online movie called Zeitgeist. Although the movie is based on weaving together historical fact and current conspiracy theories, I was feeling depressed and angry and like I needed to cleanse my palate of all of the horrible ideas it brought forth. It showed a country manipulated into a state of fear by a select few, a country that, unless shaken awake, would stay blind to the abuse of power rampant throughout the US Government and media.
I hadn’t been paying much attention to the Democratic race, nor had I ever really been into politics, but I did remember seeing Barack Obama on Oprah a while back. I remembered how inspirational he was. Since I would be voting for the first time in America, and really did not want the possibilities brought forth in Zeitgeist to come true, I decided to check out his official campaign webpage.
There have been people who graced us with the ability to shine the truth into times of great darkness: Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela, JFK. After watching only one speech, given after he won the Iowa Caucuses, I was hooked. No wonder Obama was being compared to some of the biggest influences in history.
It wasn’t just the words he spoke about a need for change and telling the truth to the people of America. An energy radiated off of him, through my computer screen, and settled with a vibrant glow in my heart. After watching America become so divided, for the first time I saw someone who I believed could change all of that. I saw a man who could bring all races and religions together by finally telling the truth and fighting for the rights of every single American.
Despite the fact that he’s running for President of the United States of America, I believe Barack Obama is running a selfless campaign. A campaign for the people. A campaign for every voice that hasn’t had the chance to be heard. For me, for you, for those who are rich, and those who are poor. For lawyers and doctors, janitors and factory workers. For everyone.
I knew I needed to get involved.
I had just finished a spin class at YAS in Venice, CA and was headed to the Pinkberry on Abbott Kinney for some frozen yogurt. As fate would have it, right above the Pinkberry
was the Venice precinct for the Obama Campaign.
I spent the next couple of weeks phone banking for the campaign, and going to rallies and visibility events. My husband Barry came with me even though his permanent residence status means he has to wait until the next election to vote. We worked side by side with people from all walks of life who were inspired by Obama’s message and wanted to change history. I was most touched by the story of one woman who had tears in her eyes when she held up her “Yes We Can” sign beside me on the corner of Wilshire and Westwood waiting for people to honk their horns in support. She said that she “never thought that she would see this kind of hope again in her lifetime.” And that “the last time [she] felt this kind of momentum was for JFK.”
Super Tuesday was super indeed. I spent the entire day holding up signs, reminding people to vote, and urging them that Obama was the best and only candidate to mend the broken politics of Washington and bring about change for America. I had friends who weren’t even going to vote! I was appalled they would even consider not exercising their right to be heard. I gave them all a good kick in the butt, and made them go to the polls.
Even though Obama didn’t take everything on Tuesday, he has done what cynics told him could not be done. He is running an incredibly tight race for the spot as the Democratic nominee and is only gaining momentum. At the moment I am writing this, he and Hillary Clinton are neck in neck. My hope is enough people will realize the time for change has come. Just because you are a woman does not mean you have to vote for a woman. Just because you are black doesn’t mean for have to vote for the black candidate. My plea is that every person in this country will take a moment and think for themselves. My wish is that they will watch the debates and educate themselves on the issues and policies. And having done this, my hope is all of America will realize a new age has come. An age for hope, for change, and for Barack Obama to lead us.
To quote Oprah’s speech at the Rally at UCLA, “I too look forward to the day when I will vote for a woman for this office, and this election has proven that that is possible. But for me, when you have a man like Barack Obama, who as Toni Morrison said… ‘in thinking about the strength of the candidates…I stunned myself when I came to the following conclusion. That in addition to keen intelligence, integrity, and a rare authenticity; Barack exhibits something that has nothing to do with age, experience, race, or gender, and something we don’t see in any other candidate. That something…is creative imagination. Which coupled with brilliance, equals wisdom. And wisdom is a gift. You can’t train for wisdom. You can’t inherit wisdom. You can’t learn wisdom. You can’t get wisdom in the work place. Barack Obama has the gift of wisdom.’… I would never vote for anyone based on gender or race. I’m voting for Barack Obama, not because he is black. I am voting for Barack Obama because he is brilliant!”
So on this day after Super Tuesday, I raise a glass of very good Californian merlot to Mr. Barack Obama. No matter what happens from here on in, it has been a privilege and an honor to volunteer for his campaign. I hope that I have, and will, leave the world a little bit better then I found it as I continue to support him in his race for the White House.
Yes we can, brothers and sisters. YES WE CAN!
Check out www.yeswecansong.com
