Aloha Everyone:

Like you, Judy Daniels and I are preparing to vote. This election is particularly relevant for the work all of us are doing to promote peace, cultural competence, and justice in our world. It makes us feel so good to know of your own efforts in your communities to register voters and to volunteer your time today to help get out the vote.

In addition to registering over 300 new voters as a part of our on- campus registration project, Judy and I were able to have Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. talk to a group of students and faculty members at the University of Hawaii yesterday via telephone conference about his amendments and the importance of this year's election. Congressman Jackson inspired us all and is indeed an important political figure to follow in the coming years. I would encourage you all to get a copy of his book entitled, "In a More Perfect Union" to get a detailed understanding of the concrete proposals he is implementing to foster the sort of systemic changes in our political-economic-social systems that will lead to a greater level of peace and justice. Judy and I plan on highlighting many of his strategies in the next revision of the Community Counseling textbook that we will be working on in the coming year.

Let us hope that at the end of the day we will have a new leader...

and then we must commit ourselves to a new campaign... to press John Kerry to move more boldly to implement policies that reflect a more progressive plan for our nation.

In the continuing struggle for justice and peace,

Michael