Reform America
We the People demanding a voice.
About Us | Mission Statement | Book Project | Statement of Purpose


subglobal1 link | subglobal1 link | subglobal1 link | subglobal1 link | subglobal1 link | subglobal1 link | subglobal1 link
subglobal2 link | subglobal2 link | subglobal2 link | subglobal2 link | subglobal2 link | subglobal2 link | subglobal2 link
subglobal3 link | subglobal3 link | subglobal3 link | subglobal3 link | subglobal3 link | subglobal3 link | subglobal3 link
subglobal4 link | subglobal4 link | subglobal4 link | subglobal4 link | subglobal4 link | subglobal4 link | subglobal4 link
subglobal5 link | subglobal5 link | subglobal5 link | subglobal5 link | subglobal5 link | subglobal5 link | subglobal5 link
subglobal6 link | subglobal6 link | subglobal6 link | subglobal6 link | subglobal6 link | subglobal6 link | subglobal6 link
subglobal7 link | subglobal7 link | subglobal7 link | subglobal7 link | subglobal7 link | subglobal7 link | subglobal7 link
subglobal8 link | subglobal8 link | subglobal8 link | subglobal8 link | subglobal8 link | subglobal8 link | subglobal8 link

Politics & Power

What's new on Voice of the Voter and American Borders Forum this week? Preview panes at the bottom of the page.
Site updates each Wednesday | Do you support education? There's a school that needs your help. Visit our School Supplies Drive page today.

The “C” Word and Priorities

This past Friday I got a call from my doctor telling me that I had tested “mildly positive” for cancer. This means that they will test me again to make sure and then begin laying out my options for treatment. This was not a big shock since my family has a history of cancer and they told me a CT scan of my abdomen had revealed a mass two weeks before. My friends and family who know now have offered the usual apologies for my situation and have tried to offer encouragement but more than anything they seem somewhat sad at the news. So this week I decided to write about how I feel about the news and the road of unwritten history that lies ahead.

First let me say that I have led an interesting life to say the least. At thirteen I was privileged to spend a summer in the Middle East and got to see the pyramids of Egypt from the inside as well as many of the places I had read about in the Bible growing up. When I was in my twenties I got to interview my musical hero Ronnie James Dio and had that interview published in a magazine. At the time I did the interview I was working for a small and now defunct radio station in Oakland, CA called KOFX. During the seven years I was there I had the honor of meeting most of my rock & roll heroes and acquired a sizeable music and memorabilia collection. In my thirties I have been able to publish some of my poetry and write a book detailing a year in my life. Also in my thirties I married the love of my life and had a son who brings unadulterated joy to my life on a daily basis. Today as I approach forty I have a good job, loving wife and son and am surrounded by wonderful friends and family. If I were to die tomorrow I would be at peace in having had a good life.

So as I look ahead at a likely rough road of fighting a tough disease I find myself re-examining the things that are important to me and thinking about what I will leave behind as my mark on the world. The first thing that I came to was that I want to make sure that my family and friends know just how much I love them and that all of my accomplishments mean nothing without their love and support. All of who I am I owe to them. Without them I would not be me. They are and always will be the lights that define my life. The second thing I came to was that I must speak out about the things I believe in no matter the cost and work for the betterment of my community and country. I have spent the last three years trying to improve the conditions in the building I live in by being a part of its Board of Directors. For the last year and a half working on the Reform America website I’ve been trying to make a difference in America by speaking out about the issues that affect every one of us on a daily basis.

In the spirit of wanting to make a difference I have decided to speak out about the most important decision that we as Americans can make in the foreseeable future. We must choose who will lead us and what vision for America we will choose to support. I believe that the best choice we can make is Barack Obama. Let me tell you why I feel he is the right man for the job.

Firstly, he is young and not yet completely jaded by the public spotlight. You can see in his eyes a sense of wonder and possibilities that our nation desperately needs. We have become so downtrodden by the continuous negativity coming out of Washington that we have lost our faith in the efficacy of our government. We need to find that faith again and to find that faith we need someone who will put aside business as usual to bring real change to our land.

Secondly, he is not an old rich white man. Pure and simple, old rich white men have run this nation for two hundred plus years and we are desperately in need of new blood. Also the fact the Barack Obama is a black man who began his life in humble surroundings will bring hope to millions who believe in their hearts that there can be no hope for their people. Electing a black man to the highest office in the land will send a powerful message to the children of the nation that ANY person regardless of their color can achieve anything. If we are to ever heal the divides that face our nation we must show the youth of America that we as a nation are capable of looking past our differences for the good of the country.

Lastly, he inspires others to achieve. Not since John and Bobby Kennedy ran for office has there been such a groundswell of support from the grassroots of America for a candidate. These numerous small bodies have found common cause to become a force for change. We must embrace this moment and ride the wave of newfound hope in America into a brighter future for all of us. Opportunities for real change can be once-in-a-lifetime occurrences and if you let one pass you may never see another come before you pass away. As I look at my own mortality that has never been clearer to me than it is now.

I ask you all to ask yourself if you think that this opportunity for real positive change is likely to come along again in your lifetime. Ask yourself if you think we will ever be more ready for positive change than we are right now. Ask yourself if you want your children growing up in a cynical world that embraces the politics of fear or if you would rather they grow up with a sense of hope for the future. Only you can answer the question for yourself. I have made my choice clear and will say without hesitation that I will vote for Barack Obama in November. I encourage you to do the same.

Troy Wilson-Ripsom - Staff Writer | Give your feedback on this article. | Click icon to Digg this article

Voice of the Voter Preview



American Borders Forum Preview





Contact Us | E-mail us your ideas for future stories! This is your site! |©2008 Reform America
All written items received by Reform America become the sole property of Reform America. Reform America reserves the right to publish or otherwise disseminate (with author acknowledgment noted) the contents of any written materials received by us at our discretion. By sending written materials to Reform America, the author agrees to these terms and holds Reform America harmless for any use of the items they submit. | Views expressed in articles submitted to Reform America by our readers do not necessarily reflect the views of Reform America or its staff.