GOOOH and The Younger Generation

As a new contributor to this blog, I think it is only fair to include a perspective from the 20-30 year olds in America. Those of us who think we do not have a voice, are not informed or educated enough to participate in politics, and those of us who quite frankly are confused by the media and their opinions. (Because we all know very well that true journalism - reporting the news - is all but dead. We now see editorializing becoming the prevalent form of "journalism”.) In order to make any real changes, and to silence the corruption, we need to educate younger generations and make them feel welcomed into the world of government. It doesn't have to be so confusing when really what it all comes down to is this: who we elect into office, and for HOW LONG.


I have never been involved in politics, will never claim myself to be a source of information for government affairs and absolutely have never thought about joining a political movement. Even though I grew up in Houston Texas – the 4th largest city in the country - surrounded by educated and knowledgeable citizens, government and economics just never appealed to me. I was always in my own head and thought "Why do I need to worry about this stuff? The adults can worry about that". Well – Newsflash – I am an adult now.

Not only am I am adult now, but I am also a parent. A couple of years ago I started paying closer attention to government and politics. So where did I start? Popular media of course; what were you expecting, a reputable news program or hours researching in the library? Keep in mind at this time I was in my mid-to-late twenties, a new mom, trying to get back into school, some other excuse…some other excuse….etc… etc…

What I found out by watching celebrities talk politics and watching talking heads is that our country is run by a large majority of people who have no interest in our country and our people, but only in bettering themselves. That is when I got angry. "I could do their jobs!" Oh but then I forgot I don't have millions in my back pocket to start a campaign...so there went that dream. Plus, who would vote for somebody who didn't even vote in their high school elections?

Don't get me wrong, I'm not completely oblivious to the issues that are out there, but for my generation and what was in front of me at the time it all seemed very overwhelming: to keep track of everything, pay attention to all the elections, research every single person and then try to decipher their motives. But what I DO know, and what I have always known is that the people that are in Washington are obviously forgetting that regular, everyday people are what make this country run. They have also forgotten that the only reason why they are there in the first place is because WE PUT THEM THERE.

So years went by as I felt as UN-American as possible, never allowed to participate in political conversations because quite frankly I didn’t really know what I was talking about and just feeling out of the loop overall. Then one day I overheard my mother telling a family friend about the GOOOH process and how she had attended a mock selection meeting. She had also received the book written by Tim Cox and was giving our friend a copy. I remember half tuning in and out of the conversation, heard her enthusiasm and made a note to myself to Google it the next day. Of course that never happened, so when she sent me the information for the next mock selection meeting that was taking place, I let her talk me into it, remembering how enthusiastic she had been about the movement.

Going into this meeting I had an open mind, hoped I wasn’t going to be given a sales pitch and believed this could be the start to me getting involved in my local politics. As I was listening to the speaker I started to understand that the real reason I wasn't ever involved or interested in politics is because I viewed myself as one person whom no matter how hard I tried I didn't think I could really make any difference in this world. Those were the thoughts of a "coming of age" teenager who had no clue of what one person could be capable. Sure we could all sit around and moan and groan about what we think is wrong in the world, but that's not going to change anything. Now here I was, sitting across from strangers, having constructive debates on issues like gay marriage, citizenship, education, and taxes, and I knew the conversation wasn't going to be lost! It was going to go towards electing a person to represent me in Congress. Power to the People!

I realized it didn’t matter that I wasn’t the most educated person in the room. It didn’t matter who I knew, or what I knew. The discussions became a tool for learning, sharing and explaining why people took certain positions on the important issues. Sitting across from a 65 year old man who owned land and raised cattle, I realized that he has a right to his different view of politics than I do. Hopefully he realized sitting across from a 28 year old single mom that I have just as much of a right to my opinions as well. Mutual respect and honesty flowed through this room and it was invigorating.

Leaving this meeting was very empowering. Finally it felt like I held the power in my hands to make a change in the world. Issues that were about to affect me, like health care, back-to-school loans and taxes, I could give my opinion to somebody and they might possibly make it to Washington and vote on issues with me in mind! This is what it must have felt like for Thomas Jefferson and all the founding fathers whose goals for this country meant more than money and politics. I CAN make a change, and in order for future generations to take a stand and demand what is right from their government we have to set the example now and set the bar HIGH.

What I took away from my first GOOOH meeting was learning that career politicians are what is wrong with our government and politics. When a person cares more about raising funds for a campaign, taking meetings with lobbyists, and taking unnecessary considerations into decision making for laws and procedures then we have a serious problem in America. So I am now a part of a political movement. I still don't have everything figured out, but I am learning. Now I have the motivation to learn more. The mindset I used to have is one that I shared with many people that I spoke to over the years. “What can we do about it? – “It’s been this way for so long, how could it ever change?” Well now GOOOH has the answer. And it is SO SIMPLE!

What this movement needs in my opinion is more people my age who think that they do not have a voice, or think that they are only one person, to make the commitment to spread the message. What is the message exactly though? The paradigm shift that needs to happen is for our country to realize that we do not have to continue on the track that we have made for ourselves. If we as a people, as a nation, stand up for ourselves and DEMAND that the rules change, then as a democracy that change HAS TO HAPPEN.

Unfortunately in this day in age the way to get the younger generation on board is to bring it into popular culture and media so like a viral video on YouTube it will spread like wildfire. I would hope that we don’t have to succumb to “making GOOOH hip” in order for people to realize how to change America’s political mindset, but if that is what needs to happen then so be it! I realize the power of Facebook, Twitter, celebrity endorsements and all that is involved in popularizing an idea in order to make it happen. GOOOH is one huge media event away from taking off, and with membership growing everyday we can only imagine how amazing it’s going to be. This will not take place overnight but we are willing to stick it out to ensure our future government is honest and held responsible for its actions.

If GOOOH is able to get one representative into office, just one, we will see the snowball effect take flight. Once everyone realizes how much different our government could run if representatives are given strict rules and guidelines and TERM LIMITS – then the stage will be set. It is easy to sit back and think “It will never happen”, “Too many powerful people won’t let this get off the ground”, and “There is too much money and corruption in politics”. These are only fears that need to be realized. With growing membership every day GOOOH has the potential to make dreams reality - to put real, honest, hard-working Americans into office to make REAL CHANGE FOR THE PEOPLE.

So with the looming health care "reform" issues, The War on Terror, taxes and unemployment being the some of the most prevalent topics on everybody's minds these days, wouldn't it be great to finally take all the moaning and groaning that is being heard at the water cooler and actually do something to make a change? How many times have you sat at the bar, over a cup of coffee, or during dinner and been in that conversation about how the United States government just isn't living up to its potential? That the "representatives" we sent to D.C. are no longer representing their constituents, but are now working for whoever funds their campaigns. Career politicians have lost sight of why they became politicians in the first place- to represent the people. Our government is supposed to be FOR THE PEOPLE and they are no longer working for us.

So let's all do something about it. Go to www.GOOOH.com and learn for yourself what this organization is planning and how you can become a part of it. Find a local chapter in your area, if there isn't one - start one! You can start your group on http://www.meetup.com/ and recruit "patriots" in your area. It is our right as citizens to stand up to our government and say "No more!"

Will you?

Amy Brown/TX - District 7