Proud of "A More Perfect Union"

"Politics" derives from the Ancient Greek word "politeia," meaning citizenship. Too often in our nation's and state's capitals that meaning gets lost in talk of tactics, rumors and strategy.

Earlier this year the voters of NH narrowly chose Senator Clinton over Senator Obama and moved the Democratic presidential race forward to where we only have 10 states left to vote. Two powerful, historic candidacies for the Democratic presidential nomination remain.

The issue of race was not the elephant in room back on January 8th, but thanks to some insensitive remarks in the South Carolina campaign, the foolish comments last week by Geraldine Ferraro and video clips of some of Rev. Jeremiah Wright's inflammatory sermons, race - America's orginal sin - moved to the front and center.

There is so much each one of us, no matter how educated or enlightened, can never understand about the neighborhoods and hospitals, the schools and churches, the opportunities either lacking or existing outside of our own immediate communities ... but we can try.

For Americans, in fact, have a national creed - e pluribus unum ... out of many, one.

That's what I heard from Senator Obama today and for that I am grateful. Let us judge one another as we would want to be judged. The Washington chattering classes can make their own judgments that will pervade cable and network news coverage, but today I saw a Democratic presidential candidate speak honestly and powerfully about an issue as powerful as race to the voters as adults - not as white, brown or black. We were told not what we wanted to hear, but what we needed to hear - I am my brother's keeper.

And as Senator Obama so aptly said,

"This union may never be perfect, but generation after generation has shown that it can always be perfected. And today, whenever I find myself feeling doubtful or cynical about this possibility, what gives me the most hope is the next generation – the young people whose attitudes and beliefs and openness to change have already made history in this election."

Young people indeed have already made history, but there is more history to be made and each one of us has the choice whether or not to make it. For me, hope has become putting down my iPod and PS2 controller and becoming a Big Brother in Manchester. Hope is organizing Young Democrats in the Upper Valley, Monadnock and Seacoast regions even when cynics tell me that it's hopeless. Hope is becoming not just a better attorney or a better Democrat, but a better citizen.

Like Senator Obama, I still believe in that "more perfect union" and my hope is that between now and November, young people will see themselves both as young voters and citizens.