Announcements:
A) 16 Life Members, all high achiving individuals, are running for Delegates to 80-20's Endorsement Convention on 8/2 in SF. 80-20 salutes them and all others candidates for getting involved.
B) 4 Bylaws amendments enthusiastically approved by the membership:
1 Yes=86.21 %; No=8.18 % 2 Yes=88.32 %; No=2.80 %
3 Yes=78.97 %; No=7.48 % 4 Yes=93.22 %; No=2.80 %
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All Asian Americans may want to read a NY Times article entitled "Muslim Voters Detect a Snub From Obama" of 2 days ago. Why? To remind ourselves of where our community would be without 80-20 fighting for the community.
Here are a few facts from the NY Times article. How sad it is to be politically weak!
o "2 Muslim women wearing head scarves were barred by campaign aides from appearing behind Obama."
o Congressman Keith Ellison, a Muslim, volunteered to speak for Obama at a rally. He was told "no" by an Obama aide.
o Muslims nationwide responded to Obama's "CHANGE" campaign enthusiastically. A year later, many say, Obama has not returned their embrace.
o "The community feels betrayed" - Muslim Public Affair Council
o At a Virginia Muslim event, Clinton and Obama provided surrogates but McCain did not.
o Muslim groups endorsed Bush in 2000, only to find themselves ignored by the Bush administration which advocated detention and deportation of Muslim immigrants and along wth other security measures after Sept. 11.
For the complete article, visit http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/24/us/politics/24muslim.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
How sad it is to be politically weak!
We deeply empathize with American Muslims. We are just grateful that thankfully 80-20 has a huge email list and has organized effective bloc votes to protect ourselves politically.
We are of course unhappy with Sen. Obama's snubbing of Am. Muslims. However, Sen. McCain has treated them even worse.
Politics is pragmatic, even cruel. Unless a minority is effective in applying leverage, it gets stepped on or gets lost in the shuffle. Only 11 years ago, the Democratic and Republican parties competed to distance themselves from our community, after the so called "Asian Campaign Finance Scandal!"
Please go read the NY Times article. Join 80-20, if you still have not. Click on http://www.80-20initiative.net to join. Otherwise THE SAD FATE OF THE POLITICALLY WEAK MAY BEFALL ON US, AGAIN.
Do your share to help our community become strong politically.
Most sincerely yours,
S. B. Woo
Member, Exec. Comm., 80-20 PAC, Inc.
