Saturday, April 30, 2016

United: Thoughts on Finding Common Ground and Advancing the Common Good by Cory Booker

I had the wonderful experience to see Cory Booker in person twice. The first time was at the The Edward Kennedy Institute for The United States Senate where I was able to have a chance to speak to him in front of the audience, which included Victoria Kennedy, Teddy's widow. This led to another interaction at the table where he was signing books. I told him I was going to a Get Out The Vote event with Congressman Jim McGovern that he was going to the next day and Senator Booker said he would love to meet my kids at this event and asked if I could bring them. Well obviously this was a request I was in no position to revise and so I took them with me.



Well I finally finished my class reading and have been able to read the Senator's book and now it makes perfect sense to me, that he would ask to meet my children. He cares. He cares about people and wants to help make sure the world better. He has been moved and changed by so many people who have come into his life. Starting with his work in law school which led him to live, not in the comfortable suburb he grew up in but in Newark public housing. He has given much of himself to those he has served both as volunteer and as elected official. Is he prefect? No, of course not, but he doesn't pretend to be, in fact he is open about mistakes he has made. 

He is inspiring and worth us, the people served by Congress, supporting him, even if we don't like in NJ. 

Please check out the video I linked above and check out the interaction between him and me. Then read this book. 

(Finished April 30, 2016)