Ohio Bound

| by TFLS | 3:01 PM |

We can change the world -
Re-arrange the world

Prophetic, that. It’s as if Graham Nash had a window into the future – a window of hope. I wasn’t old enough back then to participate in those changes – but I was aware of them – of what human beings can do when sufficiently motivated. Those who saved the world from Hitler may have been the greatest generation – but those who Graham Nash called to arms were its most prescient. They opened their eyes, looked at their world, saw the potential for utter devastation and cried out in a single voice, HOLD! ENOUGH! We will not walk down that path into darkness. Mordor will not win the day. We chose the light. And so the world changed.

You see – I believe it IS possible to change the world – right here, right now. Why? Because I believe. That may sound simplistic – but it is not. Belief is the first step towards any change. Belief in salvation is essential – without it, no change is even practicable. And what exactly do I believe? I believe that we as a people really CAN transform America. All it takes is the commitment to do so.

Well I have found my commitment – my cause célèbre. I am so excited to finally tell you - I have agreed to serve as Creative Media Director for our own Kelley Wenzlaff and her campaign to win a seat in the Ohio State Legislature. Kelley’s motto is Mom for the House – the Ohio State House, that is. Come January of 2009 she plans to be sworn in as the first Democratic woman elected by the people of Delaware County – and by gum, it’s my job to see that she gets there!

No – this is not about being senator or president; but we will speak to national issues. Washington isn’t the only place where laws that affect America become enacted, you know. If you think states have little to do with which way our country blows – I ask you to consider South Dakota. Kelley did. She became energized when asked to testify before the Ohio Legislature on behalf of a woman’s right to choose. Ohio was teetering on the edge of madness – sentencing a woman to hell should she ever become the victim of rape or incest. Kelley soon realized in order to make any substantive difference she had to be in a position to influence those laws. I could not agree more. This is a soapbox issue for me. Before you can change America proper, you have to try changing your own neighborhood first.

So - this is where I’ve been all these weeks – where all my energies, thoughts and passions have been directed. This is why my postings have been a mite sparse; why I haven’t been adding my two cents to any of your blogs. Don’t think I haven’t been reading them through, though; listening, learning – following lines of thought, mulling over attitudes and ideas. And not just from the women; though the core of Kelley’s campaign is about women finding and using their voice. All women, by the way. We are quite ecumenical in that respect. We stand for a woman’s right to be where and do whatsoever she so chooses. After all - a woman’s place IS in the House – the House of Representatives that is; and boy howdy are we planning on arriving there in style! Welcome, my friends to the Elect Kelly Kelley Wenzlaff – “Mom” for the House! Campaign.

Want to help? You can right now. We are brainstorming ideas for the perfect M.O.M. acronym. Don’t be shy - send us your ideas. Together we form such a creative group - I am sure we can come up with a real zinger if you all pitch in to help. Any and all opinions or suggestions will be gratefully received. You see – Kelley is only getting minimal help from the Ohio Democratic Party – and I mean this both logistically and financially. She is, for all intents and purposes, essentially on her own. They may step in at the very end and offer up some money for commercials – but we’ve been told not to count on it. It’s not that they don’t support her; they just don’t have the resources to attack such a staunch Republican stronghold. We have done the research however - and we know we can get the votes IF we can find a creative way to get her message out. So talk about our campaign to your friends. Relay information. Post about it and link to the website: Mom for the House. Give her a holler by sending a dollar! SPREAD THE WORD! We need publicity and lots of it.

Only 15% of the elected officials in The Ohio Legislature are women, and the numbers are similar all over the country. If we stand together, we can change that - right here, and right now. Kelley has said, “I respect women who claim to cast their votes on issues, not gender. I feel the same way, but really, is it possible only 15% of women candidates are worthy of their vote? Clearly, there are other forces at play. We must find a way to unite women’s voices and values. Women must be heard in the legislature. The health of our democracy depends on it.”

I have written much more about this and my involvement with Kelley’s campaign over at The Fat Lady Sings. Please stop by and let me know what you all think about this. We CAN change the world, you know. And we WILL re-arrange it. We will do it by inspiring women all over this country to embrace our democracy on the local, State and Federal level. So hold on to your hats, my friends. That rumble you hear in the distance is the Mom for the House tornado – and it is going to lift you up as we storm the gates!