The press conference about Proposition 86 today went off beautifully. You can watch the video of the entire conference here (to save to your hard drive, right click and "Save Target As..."). The file is 97 MB, so be patient.
I had the amazing privilege to speak immediately following Jim Wallis and if you wish, you can download my remarks. It was nerve wracking to speak after such a famous person, but I held it together. He thanked me for my remarks and we had a chance to chat a bit afterwards (see photo).
Other amazing organizations that came together for this event:
Sojourners
Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice (CLUE)
The Children's Partnership
PICO California
LA Voice (the Los Angeles PICO affiliate)
Good work, Ryan.
I am part of the team hosting Jim here in Berkeley on Sep. 11. Then the next Thursday Jim is in Portland where three Adventists are on the organizing committee.
I'm sure Ellen White would be pretty proud of her West Coast peps.
Posted by: Alexander | September 08, 2006 at 01:44 AM
My grandfather died of lung cancer.
I see no light in tobacco and am glad prop. 86 looks set to pass.
You make us proud Ryan.
Cheers!
Posted by: Johnny | September 08, 2006 at 02:21 AM
I watched the video over and was again amazed at the great job you did in communicating our message to the world. Again, thanks.
Posted by: Jared Rivera | September 08, 2006 at 05:49 PM
Great work, Ryan! I am proud of you! I cannot help but recall an article by Roy Branson in Insight back in the 1970s in which he projected Adventist activists involved in just such an issue in this way. The collective information in these comments -- that Adventist activists in southern California, northern California and Portland are all involved with Jim Wallis events on current social issues -- is just overwhelming. I'm sorry guys; tears came down the cheeks of this 58-year-old still going on being a 21-year-old community organizer, still faithful after all these years. Keep it up!!!
Posted by: Monte Sahlin | September 10, 2006 at 03:38 AM
Congratulations, Ryan, on this outstanding work! Wonderful job of making the connection in your remarks between the Adventist tradition and you involvement in this issue
Posted by: Doug Morgan | September 10, 2006 at 05:30 PM
Ryan,
I am always encouraged by your labor of love for those who are marginalized. Thanks for being faithful to your call. I'm looking forward to connecting with you soon. Peace.
Posted by: J.R. Woodward | September 16, 2006 at 06:51 PM
Proposition 86 will tax cigarettes at the rate of $.13 PER CIGARETTE or $2.60 EXTRA per pack. That's on top of all the other taxes.
This is not an attack on big tobacco. It is a direct attack on the poor victims of the addiction, and their children who will do without because mommy or daddy is paying $2.60 extra per pack.
Taxes should NEVER be used to punish people. Yes, smoking is bad, but obviously you've never been in the situation where you've had an addiction.
Posted by: Franklin Boeble | September 20, 2006 at 11:54 AM
Seeing this post makes me smile.
Very cool stuff Ryan!
Posted by: Johnny | January 19, 2007 at 12:01 PM