Sherry showed up at a DAJ meeting this past January. She was quiet, respectfully listened to the speakers, softly spoke to those around her, then kicked into gear and showed the rest of us how its done. She was crucial to the success of the DA Global Meeting, has volunteered for various GOTV events, and is now ranked #16 among DA members (yeah, that's worldwide) for phone banking, even though it is something she dreaded doing.
Why did she step up now to volunteer?
Why I phone bank
I hate making phone calls. I guess that’s why my husband was incredulous when I said I would start phone banking.
I often recall the words of Julia Bryan, Chair of Democrats Abroad, who mentioned at the DA Global Meeting that the millions of votes of those of us who live abroad can be the margin of victory for the Democratic Party. Statistics show that only a small percentage of eligible voters abroad actually vote in midterm elections. I feel that I can make a real difference in the upcoming election if I can motivate enough voters who live abroad to register to vote, request a ballot, and then vote.
While we may not live in the US right now, every single one of us is affected by US policy. Whether we intend to return to the US or just care about our family and friends, or just love our country for its ideals that so many around the world aspire to, we need to make our voices heard. Whether we live in the US or abroad, since the US has influence around the world, we need to make our voices heard for the benefit of US citizens and even non-citizens whose very lives may depend on US policy even though they have no say in making that policy.