“Senator Obama’s stirring call to public service is the strongest since John F. Kennedy’s 1960 request that all Americans, especially young Americans, ask what they can do for their country.” [Ted Sorenson, Special Counsel, Adviser, and Speechwriter for President John F. Kennedy]
For some time now, I've been trying to work up an impassioned essay on how and why volunteering on the Obama campaign has meant so much to me. I've struggled to find anelegant way to explain why I've felt called to lend my time and energy to this cause. I find that as per usual, Senator Obama has articulated what I've been trying to say for so long, in far more eloquent fashion than I could ever manage. He gave a speech yesterday at Cornell College in Mt. Vernon, IA on the "call to serve" and the importance of public service. A few of my favorite excerpts follow:
"Today, it’s easy for us to get caught thinking that there are two different stories at work in our lives. There is the story of our day to day cares and responsibilities. And there is the story of what’s happening in the wider world – a story viewed through headlines and websites, a destiny to be shaped by forces beyond our control.
I am here today to ask you to reject this notion, and to invite you to take hold of the future of your country. Because your own story and the American story are not separate – they are shared. And they will both be enriched if we stand up together, and answer a new call to service to meet the challenges of our new century."
"The sacrifices made by previous generations have never been easy. But America is a great nation precisely because Americans have been willing to stand up when it was hard; to serve on stages both great and small; to rise above moments of great challenge and terrible trial.
One of those moments took place on September 11, 2001. Whether you lived in Manhattan or here in Mount Vernon, you felt the pain and loss of that day not just as an individual, but as an American. That's why we lined up to give blood. That's why we held vigils and flew flags. That's why we rallied behind our President. We had a chance to step into the currents of history. We were ready to answer a new call for our country. But the call never came. Instead, we were asked to go shopping, and to prove our patriotism by supporting a war in Iraq that should never have been authorized, and never been waged.
We have lost precious time. Our nation is less secure and less respected in the world. Our energy dependence has risen, and so has the specter of climate change. More of our children have been left behind. Instead of a call to unity, we got a political strategy of division. The burden of service has fallen, more and more, on the brave men and women of our military who heroically serve tour after tour of duty in a war without end."
"In America, each of us seeks our own dreams, but the sum of those dreams must be greater than ourselves. Because the America we inherited is the legacy of those who struggled, and those who served in so many ways, before us."
"Because loving your country shouldn’t just mean watching fireworks on the 4th of July; loving your country must mean accepting your responsibility to do your part to change it. And if you do stand up, I promise you that your life will be richer, and our country will be stronger."
Full text here..
Video here..
With this speech, Senator Obama unveiled his specific policies dedicated to enabling and inspiring Americans to serve the greater good. Those policies can be found here..
I love volunteering for this campaign not just because I love my candidate - though my belief that he will be the greatest President my generation will see is reaffirmed again by this speech - the work itself has been more rewarding than anything I've done in years. I'm contemplating going back to school to start a career in public service in spite of steep financial challenges and I know that every time I waffle in my decision to walk that difficult path, I'll read this speech and be inspired again. No matter your candidate or your cause, I hope you're inspired too.
