My Name is Carija Ihus. Not only am I a first time donor to the Obama campaign, but this is the first time I’ve ever donated to ANY campaign. You wanted to learn about why I support Barack Obama but I must admit, it’s not just me – it’s my entire generation who supports him.

When I look at the million man march of the 1960’s, I often think of how it must have felt to have participated. To be there to walk, to chant, to carry a banner and fight for a change. I wonder how it felt to be proud that despite the opposition from people who said “well, it’s always been this way” you were doing something that was right and just and truly American. To peacefully go (when and where-ever possible) towards a bettering of this country and realize the hopes and the dreams of past generations.

And yet, I also wonder how it felt to protest against the Vietnam War. To be hated by those who supported it, to have our brave soldiers villified for a cause that they were asked to die for with no gain to our country – but because they are American they were drafted and served anyway. To know that this was a cause that the majority did not believe in and that most thought that problems can be solved only through diplomacy and keeping lines of communication open. To realize that the administration had given up and gone ahead with the combat anyway – because it was policy. And I wonder how it felt to know that in the end, we left Vietnam no better off than we went in.

In many ways, I understand that these events shaped and scarred my parents generation. At one moment being so proud at what had been accomplished from civil rights to the walk on the moon – and yet at another so horrified to see what was happening on foreign fronts like vietnam and the raising of the Berlin Wall. From these influences, we, the millenium generation were born.

We grew up and were bottle fed the hopes and dreams of our parents generation and the generations that came before them. Everything from Sesame Street to Mr Rogers Neighborhood and afternoon cartoons encouraged us to love one another regardless of gender, race, religion, disability, or sexual orientation. We were taught to believe that conversation and agreeing to disagree on many points was ok and that in the end, we could still have respect for one another and find a way to reach a compromise. We were told that War and killing was always a last resort – and never to be taken lightly. We were taught to help the less fortunate – and from early on were shown that two hands volunteering can make a difference. We were taught to travel and experience the world, and we were taught to think for ourselves, to not believe everything we hear, and to have faith in somethings we cannot see. We were told it’s ok to ask for help, it’s ok to work hard, and it’s ok that sometimes things take time.

Most importantly, we were taught that we can do anything that we set our minds to. That we may stumble, but if we don’t try, we will never know success. And from you, we learned that that my two hands plus your two hands plus alot of other two hands can create a movement and cause a change in thinking and in attitudes but that participation is key.

These teachings – your teachings, my dear baby boomers, are where we came from. Your generation gifted us with great leaders like MLK and JFK. Just like your parents and their parents generations gifted us with Regan, Roosevelt, Lincoln, Jefferson and Washington. We have your Dream, but we also have our own.

We want to see a Government that listens to us.
We want to see respect for our Nation again.
We want to see universal healthcare.
We want to see true equality and civil rights.
We want to see jobs and a good economy again.
We want to see our children get an excellent education.
We want to see an end to the policies of hatred and fear.

This is OUR dream. This is our Hope.

And so, here we are – all grown up. It took time. We Are Ready. We have chosen our leader.

You – my parents generation, the Baby Boomers – have taught us well. You have given us all the abilities we need to continue as Americans fulfilling the visionary dreams started 232 years ago. Now, it’s our time to give back. You always told us that the leaders of tomorrow were amongst ourselves – and someday that someone representing Our diverse generation would be president – maybe even in your lifetimes.

The media doesn’t understand it. They’re surprised to see a candidate who can pull crowds this early. They call it a movement. It’s a movement that doesn’t yet have a name (it will in 30 years). We just call it “change” and “yes, we can”. We too don’t have a name for it yet. They can’t understand why or how; but we know.

In Barack Obama, we, the millenium generation, have found a leader amongst ourselves. He fulfills all of our dreams and hopes with a feasable plan and respect for the people who will put him there. He thinks like us, he looks like us, he gets things done like we do – by working together; his two hands and my two hands and your two hands.

To the skeptics and our parents generation I say – Trust us to make the right decisions based on what you taught us. It is time for a change.

This is why Our Choice, My Choice is for Barack Obama in 2008.

With Kindest Regards,

Carija Ihus