Daily Inspiration: 6/17/08

In honor of my attendance at Obama's Detroit campaign stop last night where Al Gore announced his endorsement...

Many people have waited for some sign that our country is awakening once again.

How will we know when a massive wave of reform and recovery and regeneration is about to take hold and renew our nation?

What would it look like if such a change were beginning to build?

I think we might recognize it as a sign of such change if we saw millions of young people getting involved for the first time in the political process.

I think we might just recognize that if we saw that new generation casting aside obsolete and hurtful distinctions and reaching out to one another across the ancient divisions that have frustrated action in the past.

I think we would know this change was coming if a new generation rejected this special interest politics of the past and the big money that fueled it and instead used the Internet to get small donations and unite Americans in a common effort to realize our common destiny.

If we saw it coming, we would recognize it by the words hope and change. Perhaps we would recognize it if we heard a young leader rise up to say we're not a red state America or a blue state America, we are the United States of America. We would know that change was on the way if that young leader reached out not only to the supporters of the other candidates in his party, but also beyond partisan lines, to Republicans and Independents, and said to us all, America, our time has come.

I think we would recognize it in a candidate who, in response to those doubting our ability to solve the climate crisis and create a bright future, inspired millions to say yes, we can.

- Al Gore