Just to let you know the six degrees of separation theory is:
"...if a person is one step away from each person he or she knows and two steps away from each person who is known by one of the people he or she knows, then everyone is an average of six "steps" away from each person on Earth."Just for the effect this would be a general letter I might write to a sibling or old personal friend.
..."While the exact number of links between people differs depending on the population measured, it is generally found to be relatively small. Hence, six degree of separation is somewhat synonymous with the idea of the "small world" phenomenon."
Dear Brother:
Spring time has arrived and again we haven't found the time to connect in our busy lives. The kids continue to grow and things continue to get tougher financially. I hope you are doing well. Anyway it is a Presidential election year and as usual I am involved again as you probably have heard. But unlike the past I think it is important that I tell you why I am so heavily involved in the Obama campaign. I am not here requesting that you suddenly "get religion" and jump on Obama's volunteer bandwagon or anything but, I think this time, this year you really know how I am thinking about this election.
First, brother, I want you to know I had gone to some Obama social meetings all the way back in the spring of 2007 as even back then I felt that this nation was thirsting for change. Since then I got involved in the campaign through the Obama volunteer network in county. Eventually I became a co-coordinator and Obama precinct captain and helped lead the county convention. The imbalances in our society and economy had already grown so profound and now unfortunately appear to be taking roost as even Greenspan is saying we are heading into the worst recession since World War II. We are feeling it now and only fret how deeper this will go. Naturally you know I was against the War in Iraq from the start and believe we are only there because this government has become absolutely unresponsive to its citizens. All I can say is simply look at how Dick Cheney responded to ABC News' question that two-thirds are against the war and Cheney's response was "SO"! We both know that the majority of Americans has been against this war since before the 2006 elections and yet what has been done---absolutely nothing. But it goes even deeper than that.
As I learned more about Obama, his vision, and the people who have come to support him, what the idea of "Change" is about comes down to this; taking back our democracy. As much as it was what Obama represented, the policies and political stands he took and expressed, it was who was supporting him, not some superdelegate or political leader, but the regular people around me---they were not political woks---they were all sorts of people from all walks of life and previous political persuasions. But as time went on what became the most apparent was the authenticity of Obama, his campaign and those normal people volunteer and activists that have come together. Sure there are those who have this problem with him, a previous political event or stance, whether he didn't protest his ministers rantings or his explanation there of, that he might be a liberal or a Democrat, that he has a Muslim derived name, that his supporters seem to almost worship him, or that he is a bi-racial man, mostly Black-American by some, or whatever. But the real problem is that he is authentic and thus he really means he is about change and that scares some. But in my opinion change is necessary.
Brother, as you probably cognitively know or can feel we are about to enter a real test of our nation's soul. By all accounts we are going to experience an economic distress such magnitude that only our parents or grandparents witnessed or felt in their youth. On top of that, we are going to have to find a way to remove our nation's military from Iraq and attempt to make peace with the Middle East. This will require a global solution. Then, just to add more crisises to that historical complexity, we face an energy-environmental crisis that could be more profound than our military misadventures and economic recessions. Then there is the personal and social complexity where we have to find a way to begin taking care of our nation's health care needs.
Not that Obama or his minions have all the answers, but at the very least through this campaign has been the only one who has been authentic and brave enough to confront the tough issues. This past week he has shown this mettle, where he faced America and addressed an emotional and personal issue that every other politician would have cowered and run away from. Yes race is an issue we have never adequately dealt with in our nation or lifetime but Obama faced it with a dignity and knowledge that no one before him did.
This is why I am supporting Obama. This is why I have taken my free time to telephone people, and knock on strangers doors, and why I writing you about how I feel. It is time for regular Americans to step up and make democracy work for us so we can solve the problems and issues that have put us in this place. I hope this has been informative to you and I am willing to discuss this with you if you feel comfortable.
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