Thank You Active Citizens

When I watched President Elect Obama make his speech last night, I felt it was just him and me. He was talking to us individually, wasn't he? I've never really felt that way about a leader before. I appreciate the restoration of patriotism. Maybe it's newly found.

Neighbors were over last night and I made rice and beans and we fist-pumped every announcement of a freshly-anointed blue state. When red states were called I secretly thought, Oh no, even though we were far ahead the whole night. It was hard to trust anything. Even when the screen switched to the words "Barack Obama, 44th President of the United States," I shook it off. I was on the phone with Betsy. I told her and she said, "Really? Already?" We both switched to other channels and the internet. Really? Really.

My girls were hugely involved in this election. We had many discussions about propositions and the candidates, and they campaigned enthusiastically for Prop 2 & Obama. Prop 2 passed by a landslide here in Cali (whoohoo!) and I told the girls this morning, "The hard work that you guys did for Prop 2 will now help ease the suffering of 20 million animals. That's amazing. You guys should be so proud of yourselves." They blushed and smiled. The impact was great; the realization that with action and a voice they could accomplish something. Most people I know haven't felt that before, or hadn't before last night.

Maya volunteered two separate times at the Obama call center. The center was packed with middle school students every single day. Some days it was so crowded the center said there were no more phones and the kids would have to make calls on their own cell phones. And they did. It was ingenious to recruit the youngens of liberal parents. They were knowledgeable for the most part, easily given permission from us, and they were uninhibited to make phone call after phone call to strangers in Montana. "Hi, can we count on your support for Senator Obama this Tuesday? Yes? Oh cool!" Or "You're voting for McCain? Oh ok, bye." Or "Oh yea, sorry we'll take you off the list. Sorry 'bout that."

Both Maya and Mina were able to vote at school. At Maya's middle school they held a more detailed election where they voted for the presidency and on the major propositions. At Mina's elementary school, they got to go into mock booths set up in the cafeteria and cast their vote for president. And again I was thrilled to see their voice reaffirmed. They believe their vote matters. They haven't been shown or told any differently.

And to you my friends and to the country in general, thank you so much for your involvement and action during this election. We all made a difference. I found the spirit of democracy infectious and inspiring. I feel alive and hopeful.

I leave you with this year's school pictures.

Mina, 9, 4th grade. Awaiting her photo is always a surprise. Like, surprise! I'm wearing something completely different than what I left the house in on picture day. Or surprise! I decided to water down my bangs at recess and go for this look. Oh Mina, I love you so much. Maya, 13, 8th grade. A true beauty inside and out. I love you so much too, Maya. My little citizens are steady on their pace to become world-changers, if they aren't doing it already.

Preaching Prop 2

Mina and I went to a fundraising party yesterday afternoon for Prop 2. We didn't know anyone there, but we were invited because I'm on the email chain, and because raising funds for this thing is critical.

The party was held graciously at a lovely house in Beverly Hills. I don't get to BH much, but it was cool that this couple offered their home mostly to strangers. The event was largely catered by a local raw chef named Rasheed, which was awesome because I spent a little bit of time talking with him. He gave me his card for possible raw classes, but when I told him that I was seeking instruction for personal AND for possibly who-knows-what, the conversation went flat. Eesh. I don't blame the guy. Who wants to instruct a possible future competitor in the area though I wasn't assertive at all with that intention. Anyway, his food was awesome and he was wearing the most gorgeous and outrageous necklace made of huge twisted silver with dollops of coral. In any event, the raw thing sticks near me whether I try to be around it or not, and I'm digging and appreciate the universal nudge.

Parties for Prop 2 were held state-wide over the weekend. It was a sort of a fund-raising launch because TV commercials must be bought and education/awareness needs to be spread. There was a conference call at 5pm that all the parties could tap into; phone lines were hooked up to speakers which blasted out to the backyard and the living room. This was all magic to me, the big state-wide phone call, but there I was listening to someone from California for Humane Farms in Sacramento over the speakers, filling us in on campaign details and the urgency of being involved. I was swept up in the swirl of unity to right some wrongs. The factory farms have promised to raise 12 million dollars to squash us grassroots folk. 12 million dollars, yikes. And most all of that is coming from the farms themselves. God forbid they use that money towards making a space A TINY bit more humane for their animals. Naw, let's make propagandous and confusing commercials to add insult to injury instead. It's all kind of baffling, really.

I didn't expect to get so fired up at the party. I mean, I'm already a willing participant in the fight, y'know? But the gathering of like-minded people sparked a natural, protective instinct to defend those without a voice; to lend a hand to those who suffer whether they are human or animal. It's just not right what continues to go on. And then to witness this pure-form compassion ooze from both of my girls inspires me to not let that die in adults, starting with myself. It seems like they know what's right, from the womb practically. They know you don't let a living thing suffer a painful and torterous life if you can help it. They want to help it. I want to help it.

The things that need to be done to stop human and animal suffering seems bottomless. It seems so overwhelming. But I'm willing to tackle something. And I'm able to do more stuff to get Prop 2 passed. Honestly, Prop 2 is a drop in the bucket. It isn't enough. I mean, really, we have to fight and claw and beg for votes to give an animal the ability to simply turn around and extend its limbs? That's seems incredulous when you think about it, but if we don't do this now, they'll spend another couple decades cramped and suffering the same with no change whatsoever. This, at the very least, alleviates a small amount of suffering. How can we not want that little bit of action taken?

Linda Blair was at the party. She's a big animal activist. She runs a dog rescue out near Animal Acres called World Heart Foundation. She's intense and driven. She's teeny tiny and wow, rocked out - as in buff, fit . . .totally in shape? Mina was mesmerized by her intensity and how she rescues dogs. Exorcist-schmexorcist, Mina had to talk to her. "Thank you for rescuing dogs," Mina said to her after tracking her down to the kitchen. "Thank you, sweetheart," Linda said. Then Mina grilled her about how could she help at the dog rescue. Could she bring the pugs? The pugs would play with the other dogs and make them happy? How old did she have to be? Linda was like, Holy cow. I told Mina we'd visit some time, and then we got this great picture. Look, Mina's head is almost the same size. Her body too.Anyway, my people, I'm fired up, and my stomach hurts from the overwhelmingness of the voiceless beings everywhere, but I'll work on Prop 2 for now, and go from there.

So, Getting Back to the Animals . . .

The Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act that Maya and Mina and I have spent some time working on -- the thing I walked the marathon for -- has made it on the November ballot. It's called Prop 2. All you California voters please vote Yes on Prop 2! The campaigning has begun and the big Cali farms are starting their mega-dollar campaign against us. Since California is the largest agricultural state, the big farms will have to spend a lot of money to get a pig a tiny bit more comfortable. Poor farms. Poor evil farm slum lords trying to bust an animal's will.

The girls and I are still in the fight.

Ya'll know how I've been about baking, but a woman called me the other day and asked if I would donate some goodies for her Prop 2 fundraising party. Dang, I couldn't say no. I made the famous chocolate chip cookies, fresh ginger-molasses cookies and a lemon-coco bundt cake. They came out ridiculously good, and of course I tested, and I'm paying a little price right now for it, but I'm sucking it up for the cause.
Yesterday, Mina and I went to Animal Acres because the girls were asked to be in a public service announcement commercial for Prop 2. It was run by Dr. Pia Salk who is a psychologist who specializes in the human-animal bond. She is also the niece of Jonas Salk. She lectures on social justice for animals, often controversially. Here's one of her talks, if you're interested. Yesterday, Dr. Salk interviewed children about animals for the PSA. Dr. Salk was awesome, the questions were great and Mina, the smallest and seemingly the most informed, was a superstar. I could barely hear because I wanted to stay out of the mix, but I could hear just enough. I could hear Mina say things like, "Animals aren't here for us to eat. They're here to pet and be around us." And, "We have the same thing in common with animals: We're alive, that's why we should treat them the same." "When a baby cow is taken away from its mama, it's . . .it breaks their heart." "A chicken doesn't like to be in a cage and they don't want to watch the thing (egg) roll away from them that was inside of them and then it goes away." She spoke with Dr. Salk for a long time, thoughtfully and clearly. I was choked up several times. I think she got to Dr. Salk too. I told Maya all about our day. Since she's in Las Vegas she couldn't participate. I knew that she'd be upset not being able to be there because I don't know anyone more willing to ham it up for animal rights. But maturely and graciously Maya said, "I'm really proud of Mina for representing us well." I said, "That's really cool of you to say, Maya." Then she said, "Just next time, get me on dang commercial!"

Here are some other pictures from the day.

Mina waiting her turn.

They were eating. They didn't want to talk to Mina.
Another new baby, Pixie.

The roses are coming in at Animal Acres.