Notes From the Field
When Senator Clinton said that all Barack Obama has to offer is "a speech from 2002," she probably hadn't read this story. It's from a teacher in Appalachia. If we do not elect Obama, this is what we will lose [excerpts]:
I would love to give you a personal view of how Obama has already changed my life and lives around me. I teach high school students in the foothills of Appalachia...the foothills of poverty. I have primarily white poor as well as black and Hispanic and mixed race in my classes. 50% live in poverty. Obama has offered my students inspiration to be something more than they thought they could be. And they are eating it up!!!!
It's the first time many have ever cared about politics and I have had students tell me that their parents have never voted and have always been angry at politicians. But they are voting this time. But to have 2 whole class periods (my class periods are 90 minuets long) where the students are asking questions faster than I could answer...because they do not understand the system....and NOW they want to know.
What does it mean to be a Democrat or a Republican? What is a caucus and a primary? When does North Carolina get to vote? Who was JFK? What happened to John Edwards? (as you know Edwards is from North Carolina but you may not know how much folks here truly love the guy...including myself) The questions went on and on...and on. Do you think a black man can REALLY become President? My Grandma says they will NEVER let him be President...if he makes it some white guy will shoot him for sure. Mrs. Underwood do YOU think someone will shoot him?
I reminded them that they should have learned a lot of this in "Civics" class by now. The answer was..."It was not important then." "I didn't care then" "I never thought a person like me could ever be President." "It had nothing to do with me". One of the smarter kids said, sarcastically, "Kerry or Bush...now THAT was something to get excited about!" The class burst into laughter.
I have just taught the best civics lessons I could. We listed in columns general differences between Democrats and Republicans...and added a few other parties. We looked up the CNN web site and checked out the caucus and primary states. Even though I already knew we vote in May...I had them research when NC votes.
One black girl's grandma keeps telling her someone will shoot Obama... her family believes the white folks will never let a black man be President. The white kids re-acted to that assertion/accusation. I loved the discussion we had about that. It was testy at times and I even felt uncomfortable. But they laid it all out on the table and we talked it through. So many of the kids relate to Obama....it was like he was the common denominator that made the discussion work.
They relate to Obama because he is black and of mixed race...the white kids talked about him because his mother was a teen mom and his dad left him...like their dad left them. They talked about how his grandparents raise him most of his youth. Most all of them wanted to know how he got to this successful point in his life when he was just like them when he was younger. It was if to say...if he can do it ...so can I.
I asked them..."What do you think Obama means by "Change"? What Changes is he going to make? I was surprised by their answers and I started holding back my tears.
"He is Changing us."
"He is asking us to Change".
"He is expecting us...me, to do...be my best."
"Mrs. Underwood, he made us have this talk."
"He made me want to learn more about voting"
"He makes me feel like "I can"...I can do what I really want to"
"He made me understand everyone in this class more"
I am truly supporting Obama...with my meager financial donations, and I hope I have inspired you to vote for Obama on my behalf. For my students, for their families. For the Change yet to come. So someday soon ...we can stop chanting "Yes We Can" ....and you, my students, and I can all look back and say "Yes We DID!"...."We ALL did it togeather!"
I would love to give you a personal view of how Obama has already changed my life and lives around me. I teach high school students in the foothills of Appalachia...the foothills of poverty. I have primarily white poor as well as black and Hispanic and mixed race in my classes. 50% live in poverty. Obama has offered my students inspiration to be something more than they thought they could be. And they are eating it up!!!!
It's the first time many have ever cared about politics and I have had students tell me that their parents have never voted and have always been angry at politicians. But they are voting this time. But to have 2 whole class periods (my class periods are 90 minuets long) where the students are asking questions faster than I could answer...because they do not understand the system....and NOW they want to know.
What does it mean to be a Democrat or a Republican? What is a caucus and a primary? When does North Carolina get to vote? Who was JFK? What happened to John Edwards? (as you know Edwards is from North Carolina but you may not know how much folks here truly love the guy...including myself) The questions went on and on...and on. Do you think a black man can REALLY become President? My Grandma says they will NEVER let him be President...if he makes it some white guy will shoot him for sure. Mrs. Underwood do YOU think someone will shoot him?
I reminded them that they should have learned a lot of this in "Civics" class by now. The answer was..."It was not important then." "I didn't care then" "I never thought a person like me could ever be President." "It had nothing to do with me". One of the smarter kids said, sarcastically, "Kerry or Bush...now THAT was something to get excited about!" The class burst into laughter.
I have just taught the best civics lessons I could. We listed in columns general differences between Democrats and Republicans...and added a few other parties. We looked up the CNN web site and checked out the caucus and primary states. Even though I already knew we vote in May...I had them research when NC votes.
One black girl's grandma keeps telling her someone will shoot Obama... her family believes the white folks will never let a black man be President. The white kids re-acted to that assertion/accusation. I loved the discussion we had about that. It was testy at times and I even felt uncomfortable. But they laid it all out on the table and we talked it through. So many of the kids relate to Obama....it was like he was the common denominator that made the discussion work.
They relate to Obama because he is black and of mixed race...the white kids talked about him because his mother was a teen mom and his dad left him...like their dad left them. They talked about how his grandparents raise him most of his youth. Most all of them wanted to know how he got to this successful point in his life when he was just like them when he was younger. It was if to say...if he can do it ...so can I.
I asked them..."What do you think Obama means by "Change"? What Changes is he going to make? I was surprised by their answers and I started holding back my tears.
"He is Changing us."
"He is asking us to Change".
"He is expecting us...me, to do...be my best."
"Mrs. Underwood, he made us have this talk."
"He made me want to learn more about voting"
"He makes me feel like "I can"...I can do what I really want to"
"He made me understand everyone in this class more"
I am truly supporting Obama...with my meager financial donations, and I hope I have inspired you to vote for Obama on my behalf. For my students, for their families. For the Change yet to come. So someday soon ...we can stop chanting "Yes We Can" ....and you, my students, and I can all look back and say "Yes We DID!"...."We ALL did it togeather!"
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