It’s my birthday and yes, I’m compelled to share the thoughts and emotions weighing heavy on my mind.

The first is of deep gratitude for the love and support of friends and family. I am who I am today because of you. Whether you are blood, extended ohana, or someone who stepped in for just an instant to help and then disappeared over the horizon – know that you’ve helped shaped my life and that you are greatly, greatly appreciated.

Mahalo to all who’ve been part of this journey.

I do what I do, and am who I am – because of you.

We are truly all in this together.

Our world, our immediate community, our friends and neighbors – need us now more than ever before.

We have an out-of-control President who believes moral integrity is for the weak, the wimp, and the whacked – and he’s determined to go down in history as king of the world.

Our local state legislature has embraced a culture of secrecy and entitlement, refusing to support the involvement of ordinary citizens in the civic process AND protecting a system that enables a $35,000 pay-to-play bribe/gift/contribution to a yet to be identified publicly “influential legislator”.

Several weeks ago I wrote a column, No Room At The Inn. The response from across the islands was instant and overwhelming. I received countless emails, phone calls, and social media comments from individuals who verified that my description of the process matched exactly their experience – that it was difficult, sometimes almost impossible to actually connect with service providers and when they did, there were NO BEDS AVAILABLE.

Our federal government is careening toward both domestic and international chaos/disaster. Our state government believes their job is doing the minimum, preserving secrecy, and protecting their own members. That man and his family living under the bridge? They’re on their own.

These are the three things pressing down upon me today.

And yes, for my birthday I’m asking for your help in pushing back on all three.

PLEASE –

SHOW UP with Indivisible, the ACLU, Common Cause and other organizations, on the street holding signs opposing the policies of the Trump administration.

TAKE ACTION via email and calls to legislators and in-person testimony asking them to expand the facilities and services available to the homeless, support citizen involvement in the government process, and end pay-to-play government corruption.

MAKE A GoFundMe CONTRIBUTION to help pay the legal expenses in the Acasio v House of Representatives law suit demanding the House follow the constitution and stop committee decision making in secret. Whether $20, $72, $200, or $2,000 your contribution by the end of the day tomorrow January 22 if possible is urgently needed.

And, AFTER you’ve completed the top 3 tasks, if you want to help improve/expand my technological capacity so I can reach more people more efficiently – I will gladly and with great appreciation – accept gifts of support via Venmo @Gary-Hooser-1

No one pays me to write. I’m not on anyone’s payroll. It’s just me Gary Hooser, sharing my thoughts with friends and networks.

This work and my writing, is a labor of love. Mahalo to all for sharing it with others.

And mahalo of course for the birthday well wishes!

Let’s take that next step and press harder.

History shows us clearly that when a people are united AND engage the process – it can change the world.

Let’s do this.

Gary Hooser