Voting by Mail Changes the Game in Colorado

Every fall in Fort Collins, CO the city holds the "New West Fest," a celebration of local music, art, and business. Here we see the "new west" emerge as a crucial factor in the 2008 presidential election. While many rural areas in the east (like my hometown - Boomertown, NY) have experienced a brain-drain for decades, places like Fort Collins, CO are on the receiving end of that flowing gray matter. I am pleased to see that this demographic, the 20 something college educated "New Wester," is being realized as a genuine political tour de-force.

Folks born between 1978-2000 have been dubbed "millennials" and we number around 95 million. Compare this to the roughly 73 million "baby-boomers" that have held sway over American politics since the mid 1960's. Our political weight is finally being felt. Whether our youth or our apathy held us back in 2004, it does not matter, we have now in 2008 united behind certain shared values that have grown up with us, and it is apparent in this election. We are the generation that grew up watching "Captain Planet" on Saturday mornings, and remember movies like Fern Gully and Land Before Time. The ghost of Jim Henson still whispers the moral of the story in our ears at night. We like thinking and planning green.

Millennials have also been called "Generation We" for our unprecedented cooperativity enabled by the internet. The world has grown a nervous system and we are the neurons. Our blog posts, our Facebook pokes, our text messages, our i-reports are the electro-chemical bursts giving life to a new global organism. The financial firestorm is manifestation of the mental breakdown of this organism while it reconciles the differences so exaggerated during the last eight years. The Markos Moulitsas' and the Bill O'Reilly's of the world have stretched the rubber-band of the polis so far to either side that it is crashing back to center and we are having to redefine and reassign value. May the millennials deliver on their promises and bring conscious evolution to the halls of Washington.

Matthew 25 Network

A women's right to abort pregnancy is a fundamental right. I support this fundamental right! I will be voting NO on Colorado's Amendment 48! Amendment 48 is an attempt to change the legal definition of a person.

I must preface my next thoughts by acknowledging that I am about to be guilty of engaging in a series of broad generalizations, so that I might make a point. Even if you find these generalizations to be disagreeable, I ask that you please continue reading. I have encountered many pro-lifers who are close-minded hypocrites that lack the ability of consideration and simply regurgitate religious teachings "without flinching." Many pro-lifers that sound the murder drum and make a stance of supporting the UNBORN, are often the same people that do nothing to support those BORN into challenging situations themselves and do not support legislation that would help families in challenging situations (i.e. the same people that vote republican). That being said, I have struggled to find many exceptions, let alone a massive movement of exception. The exceptions have now stepped forward.

At a time when America is increasingly polarized on so many issues such as this, and a great majority of American citizens choose to either strictly adhere to party lines or to ignore politics altogether, I have discovered a political action committee that is a breath of fresh air. Check out this group's stance on abortion and more importantly the manner in which they are approaching their cause at the link above.

Before you judge this group, I urge you to PLEASE rise above the talking points of pro-life and pro-choice, regardless of your stance, and make a genuine effort to employ reasoning. Please hear this group out by visiting their website at the Matthew 25 Network and learn more about them! They are a pro-life, pro-Obama committee that understands that overturning Roe vs Wade would be very dangerous and that the legal status of abortions would not impact abortion rates. This committee is backing Barack Obama because of his policies that will provide support for women and families, provide affordable healthcare for every American and help the impoverished (i.e. policies that will encourage alternatives to abortions in a non-invasive way that preserves a women's right to choose)!

I commend this group for their efforts, their cause and their couragesness. Regardless of their personal religious beliefs, this group is stepping up to help their brothers and sisters, their neighbors, their country. This is an independent political action committee that will be "targeting Christian voters on Christian radio stations with a Christian message." While I may not agree with this group from a religious standpoint, I have a great respect for the manner in which they are approaching their cause. Most importantly, this group understands that Barack Obama is the best choice for America. For the sake of America's future, may the Matthew 25 Network convince many in their target audience of this same conclusion.