Blog Center: Meera's Blog - Archived Entry

I just got back from the first of many Cal Bears Beat Bush trips, where Berkeley students teamed up with Bay Area activists to register voters and do voter outreach in Reno. Out of the five trips to Nevada that I've been on, this past trip was certainly the most rewarding for me. I explained the electoral college to a registered non-partisan voter and how his Green vote each election is unfortunately undermined by the current electoral process, which surprised him greatly. It's these sort of conversations with swing voters that will get Bush out of office this November; people need to be aware of the heavy weight a swing-state vote carries. Once people realize that in a swing state, their vote *can* and *will* make a difference, they will make the right decision and vote on Election Day.

Before we left on Friday, I was amazed by the responses to this question I asked of the Cal Bears Beat Bush trip: "What is your motivation to join the trip?" Their answers show that the youth of America really is politically active, really is attentive, and are willing to do whatever it takes to make the voice of the people heard.
-- Reno is a place where I feel I can make a difference in the political life of Americans. The only way for the country to run efficiently is if all those elligable to make decisions have thier voice heard. Driving votes is an organization that makes it easy to be politically active in a way that I think makes a positive difference.
-- I went the trip to Reno Aug. 20-21... I was really shocked by the number of people who feel so removed from sources of power, and so alienated from the poltiical system. I want to present issues and ways to take action (ie, voting) to people in a really accessible way. I also think that taking the time to listen to someone is the best way to convince them of their own potential to effect change.
-- Our current President has lost more jobs than any President since the depression. He has lost over one thousand lives in Iraq. He's lost our budge surplus. He's lost the ability to fund his own No Child Left Behind Act. As you can see, our President loves to lose things, I guess it's his hobby. I'm a nice person. If somebody has a hobby or a past time I like to encourage them. So, since his past time is losing things, I'm going to help him lose the election.
-- Get people to vote- we can't force other countries to work democratically if we refuse to do it ourselves.
-- Interest in being part of this historical moment and the real fight to defeat George Bush (as opposed to the discussion which occurs on campus which is irrelevent--- not just to beating Bush, but to winning anything else).

The Cal Crew's night out in Reno before the 8AM wake up to register voters

Check out more photos that the Cal Bears took on the trip: http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/avyasa/album?.dir=/dc5e&.src=ph&.tok=phy7LxBBK0Tpt40P