Tuesday's with Dennis...Kucinich

This morning, I had breakfast with Representative Dennis Kucinich (D-OH). Well, more like me and about 50 other students. He spoke at a breakfast held by the Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars, and Tara (a fellow intern at Mobilize.org from TWC) invited me to go.

He is personable. He liked to move around and engage his audience with his passion for politics. Kucinich spoke avidly about on his disdain for sending American troops to Iraq and touched on other issues that members of the audience asked him about (immigration laws and federal grants for college tuition were among them). I really enjoyed having the opportunity to engage a member of congress over muffins and pastries.

I did notice that his rhetoric was polarizing. Perhaps he thought the liberal approach would play well to the audience, but I do remember him speaking the same way when he ran for president. I’m pretty sure he wasn’t playing to anyone. He talked about bad decisions in our nation’s history–we must accept our past an move on. I have noticed, especially with members of the House, that they seem to constantly be on their soap box (and showing no signs of stepping off).

What is wrong with taking a moderate approach to issues? Young voters are registered as Democrats (39%), Republicans (32%) and independents (22%); we need elected officials who will wholeheartedly listen to our generation, to the issues that affect our lives. It’s what I tell students every day when I pitch the Youth06 Initiative.

Even though our ideologies and opinions differ in places, I did like his call for action. Kucinich said "Ask yourself: ‘who am I? What am I going to do to change the world today?’" I appreciate his attitude, and his desire to improve our country and it’s people. I want more of it.

CR

Politics Now

March is Youth Voter Month, or at least we are celebrating it in this month where, 35 years ago, young people ages 18-20 were first given the right to vote. It's hard to believe that, as late as 1970, young people were disenfranchised.

It took a war to build popular support for the cause; anyone old enough to fight for America in Vietnam was also old enough to fight for America in the polling booth, and had the obligation to do so. At 18, I was not ready to fight a war; I was not even ready to vote. I thought I could register on election day and be processed immediately. Sometimes I cringe at my own obliviousness.

The next time around, I didn't receive my absentee ballot. But, instead of throwing my hands up, I took a "road trip for change" to New Jersey and, with my court order in hand, told the election officials to "show me the ballot"...box. One careless approach to voting followed by an activist approach: I like to think the two elections cancel eachother out.

I've still got a score to settle with my own track record on voter activism, and I'm not the only one. For all the talk about youth apathy, young people showed the rest of America what it means to care about elections in 2004. Our participation spiked (depending on who you listen to) by between 9 and 11 points, which is a larger increase than that of any other age group. The upward trend will continue in 2008, no doubt. It's the most open presidential race in decades.

I'm not worried about '08; I'm worried about '06.

That's right, '06. The silent, nerdy election that everyone agrees is okay, but not even half as appealing as '08; the "oh man it I just had no time" election. Forecasters say 1/3 of the voting public will choose the winners, maybe.

But, then again, forecasters say we'll get we'll get rain when we get sun. They take their guesses based on the only thing they know for sure, the past. This is the future. I wasn't registered in 2000 or in 2002, but it is 2006.

I am registered, and I will decide.

Most of us, when we think about reasons young people should value their right to vote, need look no further than our own civic shortcomings. Nobody's perfect. We should look beyond that, though. We should remember the pride with which Iraqis stormed their ballot boxes, with threats of violence and death ringing in their ears, or the men and women our country has sacrificed to give them that opportunity. We should remember our own inner thoughts on these and many other issues.

Whether we know it or not, we are old enough to fight a war. Let's start one.

DP

Fundraising

We didn't get the big grant. There it is out on the table- we breathe in dissapointment and look towards the horizon, a little more wearily this time. That's all there is to do really with news like this. It's not the first time, nor will it be the last.

Understandably, it's a big part of this non-profit business. Learning to cope with dissapointment, find more money, pay the bills, buy new paper, take lunch breaks. Today I asked Maya how much time she spent on this stuff. "Too much," she says, "I wish people would just send us checks."

Sometimes, they do.

Yesterday Dave and Maya drove up to New York to talk to representatives from the Ford Foundation. They loved our stuff. She says, "it's about convincing them that we're the most worthy ones of their money."


ZH

And the winner is....

The buds of MAY

The heat is on; it got all the way into the seventies on Saturday. People went into the myriad circles and parks around the district and relaxed. Dave ate some asphalt over a catch of Frisbee, and a few of us found time for a Sunday night barbeque. Green, white, and pink buds are meandering out of the trees in the neighborhood, and rejuvenating the gray-scaled metropolis.

In the office, we’re meandering out of our hibernation, too. My whiteboard has stories to pitch and emails to write, playgrounds to build and dreams to fulfill. Four of us are doing this full time. I pick whatever ideas are ripe enough and cultivate them. A group of high school students wants to make DC recreation centers more welcoming. I want to harvest their ideas, articulate their desires, and broadcast their message.

Dave is attending a networking dinner party tonight for a group called YouthBuild, which encourages inner-city youths to rebuild their communities while receiving career training. He says a few senators may show up, and there will be partnerships to forge and contacts to receive. Work doesn’t end when Dave picks up his salad fork; he has a full lid tonight.

Zac is building a website for Raise Your Civic Currency, an incentive-based approach to civic action. He’s had to learn a new computer language and uncover codes and inconsistencies in the computer software. I saw the model for the homepage yesterday and it looks great, two weeks ago he didn’t even have network access.

Maya has a Sidekick, usually stuck to her face. She is on the phone and computer communicating with foundations and endowments every day, making sure we have the capital to finance our ideas. She also manages Claire, Tara, and Greg, who are working with college campus groups to start a dialogue between young people and political candidates.

Our jobs are distinct, but they are hinged to the successes and failures of the team. We need each other to succeed at any task, and we know how to hit our stride in the conference room and in the living room. On Saturday, we celebrated four years of youth empowerment with Mobilize.org. We washed down funny videos from Election Day 2005 with Bud Light (Uma Mehta, you’re a true talent), and we fashioned our own Mystery Science Theater 3000 out of The Italian Job.

The videos made me recall the thick of our campaigning last year. It is very cool to watch the budding of our midterm programming, but it is cooler to be part of the process that makes it grow.

DP

An AARP for Youngsters?

Seriously, why don't we have one of these?

Besides boundless amounts of energy, a feeling of immortality, an undecided future, lots of hair and hip clothes, youngsters have a lot going for them. Most importantly, their numbers. I haven't check the statistics but the percentage of people aged 18-25, from what I hear, is very high.

There are a lot of old people, too. In this case age seems to have trumped over youth in that they've found a way to come together. With incredible political force, these old fogies have managed to secure themselves some pretty nice benefits, and I dare say a better way of life. Couldn't we do the same? I mean, we all have debt, we all are hurting for health care, we all have concerns about the environment and education- combined with the fact that we are aged 18-25. My friend Kimmie had to go to Mexico to get a root canal... what's up with that?

ZH

Goodbye, Mr. President

The wind from Marine 1's chopper blades pushes the hair from the brunnette standing in front into my face, and my borrowed tie rises up and over my shoulder as the helicopter turns and plants it's three wheels on the White House south lawn. Maya is totally freaking out. Jefferson's statue stares back at us far away across the National Mall and Washington stands tall and pointy. President Bush strides across the grass, pauses to greet his wife, waves to the crowd and a minute later lifts off.

Today was "Staff Development Day" and as a special treat courtesy of White House intern and fellow Mobilizer Jeff Daker, we were invited to watch the President board Marine 1 and fly off into the big blue skies. It was pretty sweet.

ZH

Harrison Rec Center Community Action Program

D.C.’s pretty scary. “Don’t get shot!” Those were some of the last words my friends told me before I came to work out here not more than two weeks ago. On my initial ride into town, Dave pointed out a spot where he saw a dozen or so junior high kids jump another one in broad daylight. This is on the good side of town, too. And you just don’t go to the other side, at all.

Good thing Damien and Tara are more courageous than I am. They set off today with the goal of at least getting a few of these kids off the streets, and eventually found themselves at the 1330 V St. NW at the Harrison Rec. Center. With hopes of something big like new lawn, more computers, expanded space, the folks at the rec. center would be content with just a few donated books or nets on their basketball hoops. So, plans are in store for a fundraiser of sorts. With food, rappers, the mayor man, and hundreds of youngsters, it’s going to be a good time. Watch out ya’ll! ZH

Welcome to D.C.

The sun shines and the birds chirp. I suspect the cherry trees will blossom soon. Though the air is brisk and the asphalt wet, there is that energy and youthful feeling abound that always comes with the approach of spring. We’ve now entered the month of March- a.k.a National Youth Civic Engagement Month, and like the farmers planting their seeds, we go to work. Voter harvest in November.

This is the first post since our website re-design, and we have since moved our offices around the corner and up the elevator to the 9th floor at 19th and M. Our boxes have all been unpacked, and our Mobilizer’s Guidebooks are stacked neatly in the shelves. Damien’s poster of the 2004 presidential and house election results, broken down by county, state, party control, and victory margin hangs triumphantly behind him. We are clearly ready to change some hearts and minds.