On remembering why I came to DC in the first place I've been in this city for nearly 4 years now. I came here to change the world, to reclaim my government, my country and my sense of pride. I came here to shake things up, to make the bastards who were running this country stand up and take notice. For the first year, when Cheney's ubiquitous motorcade would roll by at lunch time I would give the bastard the finger even though his Secret Service people are not averse to cracking a skull or two. Silly I know, but that is how angry I was and I was willing to take that chance. Then came the 2004 election, and the wind got knocked out of me. I stopped giving the guy the bird. I stopped talking about politics. I kept reading about what was going on, and my outrage built every day they took away my civil liberties, and every time they decided to rape the magna carta. I got more outraged every time a good guy turned out to be one of the bad guys and claimed he had no idea how they money ended up in his freezer. But I stopped talking about it. And I wasn't alone. At parties and cookouts and dinner, an embargo on political thought and speech had been put in place by unspoken consensus, and we talked, instead, about how the Nationals sucked this year. Even the joy of taking back the House and the Senate felt short lived. The bright shining light of the next day gave way to gloom of business as usual. We stopped talking about it, because we forgot how to be hopeful.

A few weeks ago I applied to this NOI Bootcamp because I'd just finished my undergraduate career and was in the job market. I knew going there and getting the training and networking was the way to break into a field of technology that I love. I didn't go because I was interested in political discourse, I went because I knew someone would offer me a job at the end. But something unexpected happened. None of the people who came had been informed about the embargo. Everyone was talking about politics. Everyone was talking about change. Everyone was talking about hope.

I thought to myself, "WTF? I did NOT sign up for this. I signed up for free meals and some technology training."

Then at one point, at 2 am one night I found myself sounding hopeful. I found myself breaking the embargo, and I found myself smiling while talking about our country and the direction it was headed. It was too hard to fight so I gave in.

This week gave me something I thought was lost. I was surrounded by the most brilliant people, from 18 year old kids who were excited about change, to people in their 50's and 60's with stories to tell and lessons to teach about defeat and victory. I met people who have slept in the campaign office, and people who have electrified on-line communities. All together these people awoke a hope in me I thought was dead. Thomas Jefferson, in 1822, wrote to William Barry "Very many and very meritorious were the worthy patriots who assisted in bringing back our government to its republican tack. To preserve it in that will require unremitting vigilance." I know in my heart, after this amazing week that these are the worthy patriots who will lead our charge, and their capacity to remain vigilant is without reproach.

Thanks to everyone at NOI and all the sponsors for your amazing work. Thanks to everyone who gave me hope again, whether they meant to or not, I hope to stand beside you on the battle front.

Si Se Puede!  ¶ posted by Apollo @ 4:22 PM