Exciting times

in·teg·ri·ty (ĭn-těg'rĭ-tē) n.
1. Steadfast adherence to a strict moral or ethical code.
2. The state of being unimpaired; soundness.
3. The quality or condition of being whole or undivided; completeness.

I've been finding it easier to live with integrity this past week. Having a president-elect who believes in the connectedness of all Americans + actually models that belief is exhilarating. Religion doesn't give us integrity. Nor does political party affiliation. Only we can give ourselves integrity, consistently matching actions to beliefs. Living honestly within + without. It's something I hear all the time, but it's certainly not commonly practiced, nor is it easy (or so I've heard... I'm certainly not there yet)!

I know he is not perfect, since he appears to be human like the rest of us, but my hope for Obama's presidency is a more united country; one that is excited about possibilities. I hope for a re-invigoration of democracy, with more of us getting involved in contributing to our local governments + communities.

Evidence of good things afoot:

Change.gov: Office of the President-Elect
"Today we begin in earnest the work of making sure that the world we leave our children is just a little bit better than the one we inhabit today."
- President-Elect Barack Obama

Throughout the Presidential Transition Project, this website will be your source for the latest news, events, and announcements so that you can follow the setting up of the Obama Administration. And just as this historic campaign was, from the beginning, about you -- the transition process will offer you opportunities to participate in redefining our government.

Come back often as we define new programs and possibilities to engage and be part of this administration. More...

Obama Transition Team Adopts Ethics Rules
Brian Knowlton
NY Times 11/11/08
WASHINGTON -- A top adviser to President-elect Barack Obama said Tuesday that the transition team would raise about $7 million to cover its costs, supplementing $5 million in government funds, but would reject donations from lobbyists or corporations and rely instead on the same pool of small donors who helped propel the Democrat to victory. More...

The Climate for Change
Al Gore, Op-Ed Contributor
NY Times 11/9/08
THE inspiring and transformative choice by the American people to elect Barack Obama as our 44th president lays the foundation for another fateful choice that he — and we — must make this January to begin an emergency rescue of human civilization from the imminent and rapidly growing threat posed by the climate crisis.

The electrifying redemption of America’s revolutionary declaration that all human beings are born equal sets the stage for the renewal of United States leadership in a world that desperately needs to protect its primary endowment: the integrity and livability of the planet. More...

Perfecting the Union
Roger Cohen, Op-Ed Columnist
NY Times 11/5/08
Beyond Iraq, beyond the economy, beyond health care, there was something even more fundamental at stake in this U.S. election won by Barack Obama: the self-respect of the American people. More...