Thursday, April 17, 2008 was an uneventful day throughout the country. Spring weather had set in, and many communities were dealing with the increased stench of death as bodies still buried in piles of rubble decayed in the warm weather. Cities like New York, Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles were especially vulnerable due to the hundreds of thousands - perhaps millions - of dead. Rescue and recovery efforts were working day and night, but it was an endless task that took it toll on the morale and psyche of hundreds of thousands of volunteers who had traveled to the most severely damaged areas to help in any way they could. Hospitals that managed to function were filled to capacity. Doctors and nurses were overwhelmed with work. Even gravediggers couldn't keep up with the demand for mass graves where bodies were piled high, then cremated for the most efficient disposal. It had been just over a month since the hurricane hit the east coast and the earthquake hit the west coast.
O.U.T.R.A.G.E. members were experiencing burn-out, too, as they tried to coordinate activities around the country. Not only were they instrumental in organizing work forces to help communities recover from the events of last January, as well as the hurricane and earthquake. But it also was heaviy engaged in preparing for the November elections, recruiting potential Congressional candidates, preparing polling places, helping to create new political parties, and pretty much doing all the "grunt work" required to ensure a strong turn-out of voters. O.U.T.R.A.G.E. was also working with corporations, media, and community organizations in an attempt to build a unified effort behind the new elections. There were myriad topics to be discussed, disputed, and developed. In a country as diverse as the United States of America, it was almost impossible to get a consensus on anything. O.U.T.R.A.G.E. realized that it had to bring people together on one vital issue: the need to turn the country into a true democracy that was ruled by the people. Being a republic, wherein the country was governed by those elected by the people, had failed. Those who would be elected to Congress in November would have to understand that they would be sworn to uphold the wishes of the majority of the people. There would be no cozy arrangements with wealthy elitists, special interest groups, lobbyists, or big business. 'We the People...' would be the flagship of the new government.
"Nobody trusts the federal government anymore," one O.U.T.R.A.G.E. member stated on a half-hour television segment about government authority. Television broadcasts were still continuing 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and most TV stations around the nation carried at least a good number of the segments. There were round-table discussions about how to re-organize government; profound speeches about the need for reforms; spirited retorts on how the 'Rebellion of '08' had given America a reason to revitalize itself. Call-in talk shows allowed citizens to voice their opinions; e-mail addresses were prominently advertised, affording citizens the opportunity to express themselves on various issues. It was a well-orchestrated campaign designed to get people involved in the new political process - something that the average citizen had been denied access to for decades as contemporary politicians ran the system the way they saw fit, to their own benefit. Legions of new ideas were being brought forth, and each deserved delicate attention. Even the craziest concepts were given courteous consideration. If a democracy was going to work, it had to work for all people, not just those of certain position, status, income, or social persuasion. Gays, Muslims, Hispanics, Athiests, Christians, poor people, senior citizens, wealthy people, males, females, vegans, African Americans, and even white anglo-saxons all had a right to be heard. Building a consensus of government that would please everyone was a monumental order, but it had to be done. No longer could any one group hold more power, influence of authority than any other. No longer could your station in society dictate your ring on the ladder of leverage. Instead of Ronald Reagan's "All for One, ME" approach, the new national motto would have to become, "All for One, and one for All". The arduous, but ardent, work continued non-stop.