Yesterday, I spent some time getting acquainted with the new office for Mainers United in Portland. The field team was set up and ready to go. These are the folks that will have their boots on the ground to win marriage for same-sex couples in Maine this November. I was excited to see all of the phones and computers hooked up and ready for use by volunteers who will work hard to change the hearts and minds of voters before election day.
Watching the new office take shape, I was taken back to 2009, when I was a volunteer. After long days at my full time job, I would head to an office to make calls, input data or bring food to other volunteers. On Saturdays, I often woke up early to visit neighborhoods in Southern Maine where I knocked on doors, talking to voters about marriage. Even though we all experienced a heartbreaking loss, I don't regret a minute of the time I spent trying to win marriage for same-sex couples in Maine 3 years ago. If I had to guess, the volunteers in North Carolina are disappointed by the outcome of the election but comforted by knowing they gave the campaign all they had. I hope they are as proud as we are of their efforts.
It's a privilege to officially represent the ACLU of Maine in the current campaign, but that doesn't mean my phone banking and canvassing days are over! There will be many chances to make phone calls and knock on doors this time around and we all need to pitch in and help. I want to give this campaign every thing I have, so I can wake up the day after the election knowing I did everything I could.
To get to victory, we need you. There's a Day of Action being planned this Saturday, May 19th. Shenna and I are going to be participating in local events - and we'd love to see some of you out there, representing the ACLU of Maine. To sign up for an event in your town, visit the Mainer's United website:
http://www.mainersunited.org/splash/events
If you can't join us this Saturday, there will be other opportunities to get involved - and I will be here to tell you all about how you can help.
