“There is no literature or poetry in this White House. No music. No Kennedy Center award celebrations.
There are no pets in this White House. No loyal man’s best friend. No Socks the family cat.
No kids’ science fairs. No times when this president takes off his blue suit-red tie uniform and becomes human, except when he puts on his white shirt-khaki pants uniform and hides from Americans to play golf.
There are no images of the first family enjoying themselves together in a moment of relaxation.
No Obamas on the beach in Hawaii moments, or Bushes fishing in Kennebunkport, no Reagans on horseback, no Kennedys playing touch football on the Cape.
I was thinking the other day of the summer when George H couldn’t catch a fish and all the grandkids made signs and counted the fish-less days.
And somehow, even if you didn’t even like GHB, you got caught up in the joy of a family that loved each other and had fun.
Where did that country go?
Where did all of the fun and joy and expressions of love and happiness go?
We used to be a country that did the ice bucket challenge and raised millions for charity.
We used to have a president that calmed and soothed the nation instead dividing it.
And a First Lady that planted a garden instead of ripping one out.
We are rudderless and joyless.
We have lost the cultural aspects of society that make America great.
We have lost our mojo, our fun, our happiness.
The cheering on of others. Gone.
The shared experiences of humanity that makes it all worth it. Gone.
The challenges AND the triumphs that we shared and celebrated.
The unique can-do spirit Americans have always been known for. Gone.
We have lost so much in so short a time."
-- Elayne Griffin Baker
part one: Anders Croy Communications Director for Florida Watch and the DeSantis Watch accountability project.
topics:
Hurricane Melissa
part two:
Ceridwen Cherry. Legal Director
VoteRiders is a nonpartisan organization.
VoteRiders is the nation’s leading organization focused on voter ID education and providing free, direct help to anyone who needs an ID to cast a ballot.
VoteRiders was founded in 2012 in response to an increase in voter ID laws, in order to provide clear information and direct help to all voters. Since then, VoteRiders has worked with tens of thousands of voters one-on-one to make sure they have an ID, and helped millions more to make sure they have what they need to vote with confidence.
Today, with millions of voters at risk of being silenced by voter ID laws, VoteRiders is confronting this crisis head on through its unique mix of on-the-ground community organizing, digital outreach and education, and collaborative partner work.
VoteRiders offers free, one-on-one help to any voter who needs an ID. We work with people — sometimes for months — to get the underlying documents they might need (birth certificate, Social Security card, etc) and the ID they need to vote. Because cost should never be a barrier to voting, we pay for all associated fees and transportation.
VoteRiders invests the time and puts in the work to support the voters that other groups far too often ignore. Parties, campaigns, and many of our peer organizations focus on the 50-60% of citizens who already vote and not the near-majority of Americans who could vote but don't. We are undoing the harm created by restrictive ID laws in the immediate term, while laying the groundwork to expand the electorate in an equitable way by supporting millions of potential voters that others leave out.
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Vision and Mission
VoteRiders’ vision is a thriving American democracy with an empowered, civically engaged, diverse, and representative electorate. In such a democracy, voter ID laws do not prevent any eligible voters from having a voice at the ballot box.
VoteRiders’ mission is to ensure that no eligible voter is prevented from casting a ballot that counts due to voter ID laws, either directly from lack of acceptable ID or indirectly
because of voter confusion.
VoteRiders educates voters and assists citizens to secure their voter ID. We inspire and support organizations, volunteers, and communities to sustain such voter ID education and assistance efforts.