I am probably going out on a limb here.

Let me thank you in advance for reading my plea as you may already know some of these things, but several you may not. This Presidential election is more important than the last. There are so many things at play here. If you sit by and only watch and don't ensure that you are registered AND vote and get more folks registered, fired up AND drive them to the polls, as my Dad says, "People get the government they deserve". And we will get the government we deserve, particularly in our democracy where we have the opportunity to right generational wrongs and create a better nation for our children, sisters, brothers, nieces, nephews and grandchildren. We are caretakers for future generations. There is true power in the actions you chose to take or not take today and tomorrow. This election is about a lot of things people died for, including many black folks grabbed on those country roads when photographs of lynchings became a postcard trade. The concerted destruction that I am seeing of the middle class reminds me of the Bacon Rebellion (1676) led by 29 year old Nathaniel Bacon where free blacks (yes, there were a few of us free back then) and poor whites and former indentured servants united against a corrupt Tidewater gentry governing Virginia. This Tidewater gentry or Virginian "aristocrats", as they called themselves, would only let these poor, struggling people who were trying to carve out a life and raise families, purchase the worst producing land on the outskirts of settlements where the government failed to provide militia protection. Think about it - the frontier was lawless and dangerous - no street lights, no telephones, no 911, no ambulances or fire stations. You got an ax and hand saw and you built your house and you had a rifle and kept your family safe. You grew, shot and raised your own food. What was the result from the Bacon Rebellion which briefly took over the government house? Another uprising in Maryland. Thus, the alliance between poor whites, former indentured servants and Africans greatly disturbed the ruling class and a strategy was developed (sound familiar?) to never have the races unite again. The "aristocrats" responded by hardening the racial caste of slavery and Virginia passed the first slave laws, making slavery lifelong AND hereditary, thus creating a sub-class that poor whites could feel superior to and from which by an accident of birth and the color of your skin you could not escape. All other slave states modeled their slave laws after Virginia. By 1700, a class of approximately five (5%) percent of the population, the "First Families of Virginia" or Cavaliers, dominated the colony's politics and economy. They built large manor houses on their Tidewater plantations with slave labor and by the 1730s, many of these manors were made of brick. And so racial prejudice continued with each new group of poor whites that came to America, i.e., Irish, Italians, etc. We are doomed to repeat our history unless we know it because it is a tiny minority of the wealthy that want to continue to control our destiny for their own ends. We have reached that point where it is rich against poor again with the concerted destruction and removal of protections for the working middle class and a prior

Bush Justice Department agenda of crushing and dismantling African American concentrations of political power within large cities. You know what happened. The super rich have no loyalty to country or citizenry. They rarely send their sons or daughters to die for it, yet they often think they are the only ones who built it. The privileged few may want to continue to control these United States but they don't have to live in the real America, investing sweat and blood into it. They are wealthy anywhere in the world and have intoxicated us with the possession of "things", chasing their lifestyles. So why should they care about the U.S. worker or average American (no matter the color) trying to raise a family and better his or her station in life since they consider our life situation our own fault? Are we really that easy to pander to? Are we so easily led like sheep to slaughter? Having opportunity, thus being a first and not last at something is important for all Americans. When you are the first African American or American of Hispanic descent or Asian or Arab or Italian or Irish American or Female American to open a door or break a glass ceiling or an interracial couple - you must walk a line because there are always those who want you to fail and those who will help you fail if they can. They look for your weakness and go for it. Despite the barbs hurled at you, you must always act with discipline and show calm and courtesy because you know the importance of being "first". YOU are the example for those who come after you. In fact, there are those people who will often secretly condemn you because of your own goodness or ability at something. It is a heavy responsibility being first. After the last election, you may be aware that the Republican congressional strategy was solely to make "Obama" a one-term president - not govern the nation well in this global economic crisis which we pretty much caused. Also, please note how many times he is just referred to as "Obama" and not "the President". It shows a lack of respect for him and the Office and the race. Whatever your particular issue with his administration, could you govern well under these circumstances? When people who have held the reins of power FOREVER want you to fail and will do whatever is in their power or offshore bank accounts to denigrate you? To accomplish nothing or very little as a Congress, so you can be blamed for doing nothing or next to nothing on behalf of the American people. Call you a Socialist! Really now, propaganda is propaganda. I believe that anytime racism or sexism raises its ugly head it MUST be stomped upon and eradicated no matter if it is convenient or not. This election is about respect, race and the make-up of the Supreme Court because it is solely about the changing demographic in America and keeping power in certain hands and marginalizing us for the next fifty (50) years. Remember Supreme Court Justices are appointed by the President for LIFE. They influence the rule of law and our society for generations. We are on the brink of becoming a nation of minorities. This country actually has the

chance to be a "more perfect union". I want to play an active part in helping that happen and I hope you do too. THINK. If it had not been for President Roosevelt we would not have had social security, unemployment benefits, the New Deal or many other programs that brought us out of the Great Depression and put people back to work when there was 25% unemployment. FDR's administration also had the vision that millions of Americans should never have to suffer the likes of a breadline again by passing these programs. If it was not for President Truman, there would be no GI bill which educated veterans like my Dad and gave them the opportunity to obtain a loan to own their own home - the American dream. So, despite the views of the Tea Party and others, the federal government has its good purpose and it's not just about helping corporations; it's about helping people have better lives - and their descendants have better futures. Do a little homework - look up the Southern Strategy devised in the Nixon era to take advantage of the South's rejection of the Democratic Party after President Johnson (a Texan) passed the Civil Rights, Voting Rights and Open Housing Bills and they became LAW. The Republican Southern Strategy involved the use of code words to signify race issues and continue in the quest of divide and conquer the poor and disadvantaged. In Reagan's era the code word was "law and order" and here now again - it is "welfare" (even though the majority of government benefit recipients are white women and children). You know what President Clinton had done with reducing the debt and creating a good economy. You know the mess President Obama encountered after two George Bush presidencies. And those that created the mess have escaped accountability because they control and manipulate the system. (You remember the Sarah Palin rhetoric in the last election. If you get a chance see the movie "Game Change"). But President Obama is not a miracle worker against what I consider treason from the key Republicans set on his failure. That reminds me when the Attorney Generals of the Southern states met to try and prevent the Civil Rights Act from being enforced for at least 10 years. But wasn't it easy for them to think that way after the successful "legal" coup d'tat that orchestrated Al Gore's defeat (remember the chads?) with a 5 to 4 Supreme Court decision (the five being Republican nominees to the Court) that put George W. Bush in office. Do you really think the rich and greedy and the oil economy want a level playing field? Or have ever played fair? You know politics is a nasty game where if the electorate is not vigilant or have people to fight for them, we are simply served the crumbs from our own table where those using political power for personal gain always rule. There is no perfect President as there are no perfect people anywhere but in my book, President Obama is a good President. He is a former constitutional law

professor who will protect the rights of ALL Americans. Isn't the Constitution what his oath was about? So if we don't become involved right now, we will get the government we deserve: Romney/Ryan. I want to re-elect the President and make the Democratic Party do what we need done which means I need to stay active AFTER the election to promote transparency, accountability and integrity at all levels and across all sectors of our society. But that's just my view from here. Please do whatever you can to work this election to let our families be first to our leaders. All I ask is that you consider, seek discernment and act in the way you deem best. However, please note you must be an American citizen or green card to contribute funds. May God continue to bless you and your family.