Michelle Obama had a military spouse roundtable at ODU - and I got to go!

By: idealistlefty
Published On: 8/7/2008 12:32:28 PM

Seeing Michelle Obama in Norfolk yesterday was such a moving event. I have to admit that I'm one of those idealistic saps who does tear up when I hear people use words like "tradition of service," "engage the community," and "respect and support for those in the military." So, given her interactions at yesterday's military spouse roundtable event at Old Dominion University as well as her military family support initiative, while I was always fully confident that her husband would use his administration to better this whole country, I am also now fully confident that Michelle (and her husband) is serious in her interest to support our military families and will continue to care even when there is no photo op on a carrier nearby. I think my favorite quote from her all day was when she said that the current administration says it places a lot of emphasis on family values but that she wants to enact polices that truly value families. Wow, right?
I did ask other military spouses who were in attendance what they hoped to get out of the event. Anne Rawley, a retired Navy nurse whose husband retired from the Marines said, "I want to see military members' families' problems and issues addressed in the open. They deserve that. These families need support!"

Amazingly enough, I caught a minute with Tom Palumbo, a member of Veterans for Peace, also retired Army. He spoke of his excitement that Michelle was taking time to recognize military families. He said that in our Hampton Roads community it is our family members that are out there serving and it is great that they are being recognized.

I found a taller gentleman amongst a bunch of ladies and took a chance that he was either prior military or a spouse. Turns out his wife is an Aviation Storekeeper, which being a former Supply Officer, immediately made her more esteemed in my view! Mr. Broy was also previously enlisted in the Navy and I asked him how he heard of the event. He said his neighbor told him about it and that he was just happy to be there to hear about what an Obama administration would do to support his wife and help her do her job.

Another military spouse who contacted me through this blog because of previous entries on the campaign also came. Allison was a pleasure to meet and, for her part, she was interested in hearing what an Obama administration would do with IAs, deployment cycles, and dwell time between deployments. Her husband is an Information Technologist and on an IA right now. She was also gracious enough to say she'd love to give me some advice when Mr. Wonderful starts on his own GSA (remember - new name for IA) orders next year. I saw a lot of myself in her and was not surprised that, afterwards, she said she noticed we both teared up at the same moment when Michelle was talking about how proud military families of their service members, but how they also fear for their safety while they stay home and manage everything by themselves. The privilege of serving alongside of one who wears the uniform does brings a burden upon the families...one that is not best served by "going shopping" but by real, open discussions with people who really do want to change policies that may not be best serving those who serve. Having a president who immediately begins to increase our credibility abroad would do wonders, right? Also one who supports increasing the dwell time between deployments. How could a veteran like McCain vote against such a measure and pretend to care about the problems military families face? Seriously. How?

I also managed to snag a minute with our future Congressman from the 2nd District, Glenn Nye, who is just what our state (and military families) need up there in Washington. As a former foreign service officer who has served in Iraq, Glenn has decided to run for office to do what he can to help make our community better (and deliver us from Thelma Drake!). Glenn said he was excited that Michelle chose Norfolk to do the event in and that she chose to highlight our military and their families. Later he gave the introduction and gave a great reference to Rosie the Riveter, which I know was appreciated by the many previous female military members in the crowd, including this one. I also wrote down his quote that seems to be a staple idea in the Obama campaign. He said, "The strength of American comes from our unity!" And it does. And Obama is the one who can motivate and inspire us to look past our differences of tax brackets to see our commonalities as brothers and sisters of this place we call our country.

I have a lot more quotes from people who were in attendance, desperate to hear something more than what the current administration has been telling them and the rest of our country. Women who didn't want to whine and complain but wanted their concerns of education, deployment cycles, healthcare, adequate armor and supplies, veterans' benefits, adequate childcare options and children's education, and FRG support addressed. They deserve it too - substantial policy discussion. They deserve more than a pat on the head, a backdoor draft of the Reserves, and the idea that they are somehow failing as a military spouse if they question this administration. Our veterans, military members, and their families deserve a lot more.

Finally, I have to add that I did actually get to ask a question to Michelle towards the end of the event when they called for questions from the audience. I said that I was a military spouse and also a student at ODU - in the PhD program for public administration. I put a lot of stock in public service. I asked her what an Obama administration would do to nurture this public service culture that is so vital for our military and our future. Her answer, probably more than anything she had previously stated (even the part about military families that inspired the waterworks) is what makes me want to go into public service myself. Her motivations and Barack's motivations echo my own passions and remind me of why I joined the Navy - to be part of something greater than myself. A sense, driven by my family's values...to whom much is given, much is expected. And don't you know - cementing my belief that she truly "gets it" she even closed with that quote.

If I were McCain (or the GOP) I'd be worried. Like another writer said, the military (and their families) is more liberal than you think. The days of ceding the military vote to the right are gone. There is just too much evidence to the contrary to that tired old belief that the republican party supports the military (although they do certainly support the military-industrial complex...maybe that is what they really mean?). We've got 8 years of bad leadership and gross abuse that says so.

If you'd like a run down of her speech - here's a great website.

If you would like to join the Blue Star Families for Obama sign up at http://my.barackobama.com/page... or shoot me an email at Vgalady@aol.com  


Comments



I was there too! (proudvadem - 8/7/2008 12:37:34 PM)
Michelle was great and Glenn Nye's speech was excellent.
I was very moved by the spouses on the roundtable and I am so glad that Michelle is doing these roundtables.
It's about time that someone actually listened to the families of those who serve us.


You're question was great! (Lawyer Mama - 8/7/2008 2:14:17 PM)
It was such an exciting event!