America Chooses to Change

Dreams have been realized.  Fears did not materialize.  Barack Obama has been elected the next President of the United States.  And today, it feels so very good.

WE ARE THE PEOPLE WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR poster on flickr by springhill2008 Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike

I was in the fourth grade when I first became aware that there was supposed to be a difference in black people and white people.  Little Michael Morris joined our classroom at Longfellow Elementary that year after Dunbar Colored School in Mayfield was closed and our classes were integrated by court order.

I remember how small and quiet and scared he looked as he took his seat in the row next to mine.  His eyes never left his desk.  Thankfully, that allowed me not have to meet his glance since I was sure staring.

I was so curious with wonder at what made this sweet little boy with downcast eyes and dark skin different from me?  Must have been something I couldn’t see.  But different he was, I had been told.  My parents had instructed me to leave him alone.  “You just don’t need to talk to him,” my mom and dad had warned.

Good girl that I was, I obeyed.  It made me feel bad inside, though, until one day he looked up and finally, together, we smiled.  After all, another thing that Daddy and Mama had taught me was to always live by the Golden Rule.

That is all I recall of him as my classmate after that time.  Our smiles.

During the years that followed I believed that perhaps I had dreamed that awful mandate to not speak to the black child.  My father proudly introduced me to black friends of his when I joined him on daily excursions around town.  I realized then that life sure was full of interesting contradictions and surprises.

I loved going with Daddy to the little market on the other side of town or to the uptown courthouse and post office.  It made me feel special to meet and greet all different kinds of folks outside of my regular church and school groups.

As I entered high school, I had many black classmates but not any that I could call friends.  As I planned my 16th birthday party and made out a guest list my parents questioned me about each name they didn’t recognize.  “Now, just who is this Don Tharpe?” they asked.

“Oh,” I said proudly, “he is president of the senior class.”  More details were needed for their satisfaction and when they learned that he was black he was instantly nixed from my list.  I was hurt, humiliated and heartbroken.  This contradiction horribly surprised me.

The last time I checked up on Don Tharpe, he was receiving the 2005 Murray State University Distinguished Alumnus award as president and CEO of the Congressional Black Caucus in Washington, D.C.  I would love to shake his hand today.

As I recalled these memories during the last week, I could hardly imagine that there was hope for change in America on Election Day.

But now, I believe, that we can hold these truths self evident, that all men are created equal. We now must continue to pray for peace with liberty and justice for all.

the old Moon in the new Moon's arms photo on flickr by circulating / Iris Shreve Garrott - Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike

Who Will You Vote For?

So.  Just for a few moments.  Imagine you can see inside these homes.

Watch the elderly lady who lives alone waiting for a ride to her doctor’s appointment today.

See the child who struggles to make a good grade in school this year.

Worry about the family whose dad got laid off last month.

Rejoice with the mother of three who finally got her GED.

Wonder at the smiles on the faces of the teenage couple, just married, about to become parents next spring.

Photo slide-show by Kittie55 / Kittie McMillan © All rights reserved

Be fearful of the temptations of dependence, depression and thievery that haunt the safety and security of neighborhoods like these every week.

Please click on this amazing photo, shared on flickr by Kittie McMillan, for anothe view of the Shotgun Houses slide-show.

Imagine you can see the people inside these homes.

Then consider, if you will, how Election 2008 will truly affect them.  And finally, make sure you remember someone besides yourself when you vote on November 4.

I know that is what my daddy would have wanted me to do.

Kentucky Polls Open 6:00 a.m.- 6:00 p.m.

Lots of questions are coming in about McCracken County election ballots, precinct maps, and polling locations.  Looks to be a great turnout if search queries are any indication.

All Kentucky Polls will be open 6:00 a.m.- 6:00 p.m. and if you are in line at closing time you will be allowed to vote.  Remember that, in Kentucky, state law forbids the use of recording equipment at the polls.

For a list of FAQS, Frequently Asked Question, visit Kentucky Election Protection to download a Kentucky Frequently Asked Questions document.

I Voted badge by Hilyin on flickr Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike

You can track the McCracken County Races Unofficial 2008 General Election Results on Tuesday, November 4, after the polls close from this Kentucky State Board of Elections page and watch statewide results as they are reported as well.

Vote!

Tweet the Vote

*TWEET THE VOTE* Text it. Share it. Map it. Protect it!

Twitter Vote Report announced today that voters can use Twitter and the code, or hashtag, #votereport on Election Day to report whether they had a long wait, or voting machines were faulty or if there were registration problems – or if everything went well.

Voters can also send a message to Twitter Vote Report by:

• Sending a text message to 66937 that begins with #votereport
• Calling to (567) 258-8683 (258-VOTE) to leave an automated message by touch tone keypad
• Downloading the Twitter Vote Report iPhone application

Voting Precincts and Locations, McCracken County, Kentucky expect to be very busy and we hope that you can visit some of these locations and report on turnout, weather, excitement and waiting time.

Check out this Google Map for county-wide directions. Then join us as we tweet and record the vote!

Voting Precincts and Locations in McCracken County, Kentucky

Facts about voting in McCracken County, Kentucky:

McCracken County has 54 precincts with 80 Electronic 1242 stand-up curtain machines plus 55 Hart InterCivic eSlateTM handicapped accessible machines.

McCracken County registered voters total 30,973 Democrats, 13,278 Republicans, 3,250 Others, with 21,631 males and 25,869 females. Of the 47,501 prospective voters, several of those will have already voted by absentee ballot.

Video Your Vote in Kentucky, Just Not at Your Polling Place

Planning to video your vote for YouTube?  Or maybe you intend to participate in the Polling Place Photo Project at New York Times?  In Kentucky, state law forbids the use of recording equipment at the polls.   Kentucky’s legislature outlawed video recording or using cell phones or cameras in the voting places in 2005 to avoid intimidating other voters.

Kentucky folks can be a creative bunch.  Somehow, we can figure out how to photograph or video the vote, avoid intimidation and responsibly abide by the law.

For more information about voting in Kentucky, visit: www.vote.ky.gov, call: the State Board of Elections at (502) 573-7100 or email: Secretary of State Trey Grayson at SOS.Secretary@ky.gov

Ready to Vote in Kentucky

The Kentucky General Election is less than two weeks away. Are you ready to vote and what do you know except for what this one thinks about that one? Are you sure which races, outside of the President and Vice President, are being contested across the commonwealth and who are all of the Kentucky candidates?

With more Kentuckians registered to vote than ever before, it seems that “These healthy registration figures are an indication of a potentially strong turnout on election day,” according to Tray Grayson, Kentucky Secretary of State.

Let’s make sure we are ready to vote in Kentucky!  For candidate comparisons of United States President, United States Senate, and United States Congress, courier-journal.com offers a Voter Guide where you can read profiles submitted by candidates and build your personal ballot.

For residents of McCracken County, here is a preview of the Official Ballot.  For other Kentucky counties you may download your county’s ballot at Kentucky Secretary of State Election Overview.

Click to enlarge the Official Ballot for McCracken County, Kentucky, General Election to be held on November 4, 2008

Click to enlarge page 2 of the Official Ballot for McCracken County, Kentucky, General Election to be held on November 4, 2008

Which Candidate Frightens You the Most?

Just in time for the 2008 United States presidential election, and Halloween too, WordPress has added a new polling feature for your blogs!

Sometimes what the candidates have to say is downright scary…

Yes, that's what they said...

“I have nothing to hide, I enjoy being myself. I’m not going to change who I am just because it’s Halloween.” — Barack Obama appearing as himself on Saturday Night Live as part of a skit that featured Hillary Clinton dressed as a witch at a Halloween party

“My Social Security number is 8.” — John McCain joking with Jay Leno

“I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy. I mean, that’s a storybook, man.” — Joe Biden on Barack Obama

“I’m the mayor, I can do whatever I want until the courts tell me I can’t.” –Sarah Palin, as quoted by former City Council Member Nick Carney, after he raised objections about the $50,000 she spent renovating the mayor’s office without approval of the city council

So let’s poll and see what you think about Barack Obama, John McCain, Joe Biden and Sarah Palin.

You too can get your very scary Campaign 2008 Halloween Masks from HeadCandy cartoonist Rick Tuma on Chicago Tribune.

All quotes are from About.com Political Humor’s Political Jokes and Funny Quotes.

And please, vote on Tuesday, November 4!

Top 38 Words from the First Presidential Debate

As candidates Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. John McCain approached the presidential election just 38 days away, here are the top 38 words from the transcript of the debate…

created at http://wordle.net

Are these the words you hoped to hear?  What are the top words you expect to hear from candidates Gov. Sarah Palin and Sen. Joe Biden during the October 2 Vice Presidential Debate?

This is Important

This is history… this is tonight…

follow along with

Special Twitter Election Feed

and

Debate Coverage from C-SPAN

Get involved and share!

Convention Speeches as Tag Clouds

Inspired by @NewsHour on Twitter who shared this tweet…

Compare tag clouds of words used in acceptance speeches: McCain at #RNC08 http://twurl.nl/lf8v6g and Obama at #DNC08 http://twurl.nl/oylu45

Sarah Palin's Vice Presidential nomination acceptance speech http://wordle.net/.

just had to try one with Governor Sarah Palin’s acceptance speech as well…