Obama

Stomp, stomp, stomp, stomp – are the sounds of Power Vote fellows advancing toward the Prudential Building in Chicago holding signs that read “Yes we can, move beyond coal” and “Yes we can, stop fracking.” The enthusiastic chants for a clean and just future resonate within the on lookers as a sea of green shirts assembles in front of the building and a feeling of empowerment washes over my soul.

The sensation of having thousands of other young people out there working toward the same goal of shutting down dirty politics is encouraging. People in Ohio and Pennsylvania have had an intruder, exposed as fracking, come in through their back doors and threaten the lives of thousands. Denver and Georgia face too many accounts of folks that suffer from malignant air quality conditions. Florida is stuck with a power plant that has been broken multiple times yet continues to be approved for repair. It is time that we approach our current politicians with assertion and command because they are not even hiding their intentions anymore. This is our country as much as it is theirs and what I hear from the people is that we desperately need a reassuring plan for a clean future.

Everyday when I wake up, I wonder sardonically, what new surprises will Keystone XL bring me today. Sure, it's a zombie pipeline that just won't die; it's a whack-a-mole pipeline that pops up everywhere; but I'm surprised and saddened to say that today, it's a presidential pipeline.

Today, President Obama stood in Cushing, OK in front of a stack of KXL pipes, calling for the Southern Extension of KXL to be "expedited" and "fast-tracked." Under the guise of his "All of the Above" energy strategy, the President has shown how easily he can bend for Big Oil.

Yesterday, my friend Ken and I attended an Obama Campaign fundraiser in St. Louis. But we didn’t go there with any ordinary mission. We went to make sure our generation’s demand that President Obama reject the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline was heard.

After waiting over an hour, and with hundreds rallying outside, President Obama took the stage. As he began his speech, Ken and I prepared for our intervention. I unwrapped my shawl, and Ken opened his jacket, which both had our message clearly inscribed “President Obama: Veto the Keystone XL pipeline.”

After President Obama spoke about leaving a better future for our children, we seized the pause and asked “will you veto the Keystone XL pipeline?” Obama didn’t directly respond, but acknowledged us a few minutes later when saying “we’ve got a couple of people here who are concerned about the environment.” Yesterday, we were heard.