Student participants in our online poll chose the Illinois Senator as well. With a greater margin than their parents, students chose Obama 57-43. Students in our mock election mirrored their adult counterparts in all the statewide issues. Students defeated the constitutional amendment allowing a casino here in Ohio by a great margin as their parents and other voters did. The students in Dayton City schools passed their levy by a huge margin as well.

Thank you to all the students that participated in this historic election.

I leave you with this quote from President Bush’s 2004 victory speech:

“We have one country, one Constitution and one future that binds us. And when we come together and work together, there is no limit to the greatness of America.”

From Obama’s victory speech last night:

…tonight we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals — democracy, liberty, opportunity and unyielding hope.

Both men understand that America is great. America is greater than the individual statesman. That there is no power greater than that of democracy.

Yet, for such an important topic, it feels like the big thing lacking from media coverage of the conflict is objectivity, or at least an attempt at it. While this isn’t entirely true, I’ve often wondered what actual people on the ground thought about the conflict - people who live with the bombings, rockets, and so on day in and day out.

It’s from that mindset that I was recently surprised to find the BBC publishing several interviews and articles about the Palistinian conflict that are entirely from the viewpoint of the people on the ground.

The most recent story is a series of letters written between Anav Silverman, who works at the Media Centre in Sderot, Israel, and Mona Yousef, a freelance translator who works and lives in the northern Gaza Strip, gives a great view (I think) of the mindset that many Palestinians and Israelis have about the entire situation.

In many ways, the two sides ARE dinametrically opposed: the Israelis take the stance that everything is Hamas’ fault, and if they would just be reasonable none of this would be a problem; and the Palestinians feel that they are under constant threat and attack from an aggressor who cannot be placated, that they have no protection, and that the ‘terrorist’ fighters are really defenders. Both views have some validity to them - Hamas’ attacking Israel does force them to act defensively towards Palestinians, but at the same time, their measures often violate the basic rights of Palestinians, and cross the line between defense and collective punishment.

But as the older of the two stores shows, everyone (or so we hope) involved in the conflict has one desire -peace. While for some people, that peace can come only with power, many people on the ground are willing to give and take a little in order to attain it. One the heels of a poll published in the Israeli Newspaper Haaretz that indicated a majority of Israelis wanted to open real peace talks with Hamas, the BBC’s Editors Blog featured two bloggers - one Palestinian, one Israeli - that met and now run a joint blog. The bloggers focus on the struggles of life in Gaza and Sderot, providing an often absent viewpoint on the conflict. They were recently interviewed on BBC Radio 4 (Listen to the interview here), and you can find the blog here.

What do I think? Personally, I think the fault for the conflict is on both sides. Ignoring the fact that the creation of Israel itself was a risky move that was asking for trouble, Palestinians (and the entire Arab world) need to realize that Israel is here to stay. Hamas needs to stop firing rockets into Israel for no good reason (defense against a military force is one thing, shooting rockets at schools is another, and ‘revenge’ is never a good reason), recognize Israel as a legitimate nation, and sit down to peace talks along with the West Bank’s PLA.

At the same time, Israel must start respecting the basic rights of Palistinians - stop invading people’s homes without warrent or probable cause, stop military incursions into Palistinian territories, stop killing civilians (accidents happen, yes, but in Israels case, they seem to happen alot), end what is effectively a siege of Gaza, and provide humanitarian assistance to the people.

Ultimately, what Israel needs to focus on is the people. If Israel wasn’t so deeply hated and resented by the Palestinian people, Hamas and other extremist groups wouldn’t have the support they do. It may be painful, it may cause a few more attacks at first, but there is a way to bring about peace and security without turning Gaza into an open prison, without causing so much suffering.

What do you think?

I am honored to take the reigns as the Interim Executive Director as we search for a new leader.  This was an easy decision for me when Anna asked me to step-in (the peach pancakes helped too).  You see, I have been a supporter of Kids Voting Dayton for a decade now – it’s hard to believe.  I have been an intermittent Board member over those years and have watched the organization blossom to what it is today.  So, I felt confident my learning curve would be minimal. 

My first two weeks have been great – we’ve been busy – which is good. 

Day two for me was March 4 – Primary Day.  What a way to start a new job!  I was able to see workers at Montgomery County Board of Elections scrambling about in the morning – they really do a tremendous job.  I then transported some of our Youth @ the Booth workers to several precincts.  I watched Justin do an interview with Jamie Jarosik from WDTN and then visited several more polls – it was a great day and a wonderful way to see our democratic process in action.

I have been an external supporter of Kids Voting for a long time, I am glad to be in a position where now I am on the inside looking out…and the view is great from here!

To this day, the thought of that note brings a lump to my throat.  I give my parents credit for introducing my siblings and me to the nonprofit world.  Both worked or volunteered for the nonprofit community, and it was an unspoken expectation that we would help seal envelopes, make phone calls, and support the myriad other miscellaneous tasks to assist underpaid and overworked nonprofit staff members.  As young volunteers, our internal drives were shaped by these early experiences and resulted in our lifelong connection to service.

As the outgoing executive director of Kids Voting, I am connected to an organization that will forever have a special place in my heart.  It was Denise Rehg (President & CEO of Culture Works) who introduced me to this nonprofit and nonpartisan organization that inspires and educates the next generation of voters and community leaders. There was instantaneous interest as it linked together my passion for politics, education, and community involvement. This, combined with an extraordinary Board of Directors, made it impossible to not be excited about this opportunity.

Kids Voting works with teachers, administrators, parents, businesses, elected officials, and volunteers to provide the most valuable civics lesson – the opportunity to vote.  My job was to help facilitate moments that brought together Republicans and Democrats; Dayton Business Journal and Dayton Daily News reporters; elected officials and citizens; and voters and nonvoters for our students.  Programs like Youth at the Booth, Kids Voting Council, and the annual high school conference created teachable moments for all participants. Warning Shameless Promotion Ahead: Visit our web site at www.kidsvotingdayton.org for more details!

It has truly been an honor to serve this organization and have my name associated with those like Max Jennings, Doris Ponitz, Dona Vella, Mitchell Bailey, Justin Collins, and the prestigious Kids Voting Board of Directors. There were many individuals who were instrumental to the success of this worthy organization.  The founders, executive directors, Board of Directors, volunteers and staff members, create a network of individuals devoted to creating an informed and engaged electorate.

As our community discusses how to market our region, I can testify that the Miami Valley has incredibly talented, passionate, and dedicated leaders.  As the leader of a small nonprofit with a meager budget, Kids Voting has made a big impact because of companies like DP&L, foundations like the Dayton Foundation, educators like Terry Riley (Centerville School District), and leaders like Toni Perry Gillispie (2006-08 Kids Voting Board Chair).

Kids Voting’s business is education.  Our organization’s mission is to secure the future of democracy by preparing young people to be educated, engaged voters.  It is from our very own youth, that I have learned the most.  Students like Baxter, Giles, Annelise, Marie, Liz, Becca, Esther, Julie, Bill, and the other Kids Voting Council members have made my time at Kids Voting the most rewarding.  These talented young people are committed to making an impact now!  They do not want to wait until tomorrow to make their contributions as adults  -they have the talent, drive, and passion to make their voices heard today!  There is much to learn from these young voices.

It has always been about the “kids” – these future leaders that will determine our collective fate – they were the driving force for a lifelong passion for Kids Voting.  As I transition to Wright State University as the Assistant Director of Annual Giving, I fully expect to interact with these student-leaders.  I expect my future role at Wright State University will afford me the opportunity to continue working with inspired youth that want to make a difference in our world. Regardless of my role, I feel grateful to have had the opportunity to serve Kids Voting and look forward to continued engagement with young leaders of our region at Wright State University.  As my father said, no matter the title or job, we are to make a difference in this world – and I am happy to contribute to this organization and our community as a new volunteer at Kids Voting.

Similarities are not only visible in international relations but also in our nation’s Presidential Primary.  “Change” elections are nothing new to American voters.  Americans are currently experiencing a historic presidential election.  I thought it would be interesting to take a look back at American political history and revisit the beginning of Presidential Primaries.  CQ Politics created a compressive series on the History of U.S. Presidential Primaries that I would like to share with you over the coming week.  Part One of the eight part series begins by looking at the Presidential Primaries from 1912-1964.  Please read the CQ Politics report on the Presidential Primaries from 1912-1964.  I find it fascinating to look back at America’s beginnings like the long standing tradition of New Hampshire’s Primary first in the Presidential Election Primary process that began in 1920.  I hope you enjoy this series that will premiere every Sunday.

The article points to Ohio as the “Mother of Presidents” and a barometer standing where all U.S. political currents converge. I believe Ohio will again be in the spotlight once the two party nominees are decided. I believe the saying “As goes Ohio, so goes the Nation” is still true in 2008.

I find it interesting how somethings change while others stay the same. Sadly, I believe the Ten Presidential Commandments that are stated in this article are just as true now as they were back in 1943. This presidential campaign season is characterized by the word “change,” but I wonder if our presidential candidates will always follow the rules of the Presidential Commandments. Take a look at the article, and let me know what you think.