Who Will Make Change?

If anyone doubts that President Obama has the ability to inspire, they should meet Thom Myers.

Myers chairs the group Obamazoo, made up of Kalamazoo area citizens who are aligning themselves with President Obama’s Organizing for America. Myers touts the group as a grassroots effort of people who want to continue to stay involved in the political process now that the election is over.

Obamazoo hosted the first of what Myers hopes to be many Town Hall meetings on January 27 at the Kalamazoo Public Library. More than 100 people attended, including Kalamazoo Mayor Bobby Hopewell, Kalamazoo City Commissioner Sean McCann, and State Representatives Bob Jones, Tonya Shuitmaker and Larry DeShazor. DeShazor is a Republican.

Myers says the group is not about advancing Democrat or Republican causes. Says Myers, "we're committed to engaging our neighbors in bringing about change in our local communities throughout Kalamazoo County and Southwest Michigan." This "Organizing for America" campaign is part of a larger, national network.

At the town hall meeting, attendees told stories about how they were inspired by not just the new president, but by the American people who got out and became involved in the process this last election year.

You can learn more about Obamazoo at my.barackobama.com/page/group/ObamaZoo-KalamazooforChange

Or e-mail kalamazooforchange@gmail.com. The group also has a Facebook page.