Public Speaking Appearance at the Hawaii Republican Party Fundraiser

During a private  fundraiser for the Hawaii Republican Party on January 16th, 2012, Mr. Beal was given the opportunity to present the “DeafME – Silently Changing the World” film trailer to a group that included Party Chairman David Chang and Hawaii’s former Governor Linda Lingle.  After the trailer, he spoke briefly about the film and how it related to the principles that the Republican party values such as competition, charity, free enterprise and personal responsibility.

After his brief remarks, the Governor spoke about her upcoming campaign for Hawaii’s Senate seat.  It’s apparent that she is well-prepared and ready to capture the seat for the Republican party.

Once she finished speaking, Joshua had the opportunity to talk with Governor Lingle over dinner and he was surprised to find out that she graduated from California State University Northridge (CSUN), which has a substantial Deaf student population.  It was gratifying to see that she is very aware of the Deaf community starting back from when she was a college student.

After dinner, Joshua was invited to take photos with the Governor.  He is definitely committed to supporting her campaign for U.S. Senate this upcoming Fall of 2012!

Power of your Vote!

Today’s presidential elections loom just two years from now.  In many states, there are numerous races to fill legislative office in the Senate/House of Representatives, Mayoral races and City Council spots.  For many people, it seems to be repetitive seeing the election ads on TV, in the newspapers, hearing it on the radio and even now, you can see candidates pitching their campaigns on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.

One mustn’t forget that as Americans, we do have a duty to step forward and exercise our rights.  One of those rights, which many others died for over the years in numerous conflicts over the globe, is voting.  Setting aside any agenda that one individual or an organization may have when trying to influence the American public, one must consider the power of voting.  Voting has given us a functioning democracy, which at times could be debated to the relative efficacy of politics today, there is no doubt this right has given us enormous sway and power in respect to self-determination.

While looking to register myself and my wife here in Hawaii, I found a great resource that helps you find out how to register to vote in your state.  Check it out here at: http://www.presidentialelection.com/students/wiki/index.php/Category:Register_to_Vote

Please don’t forget, even though it doesn’t seem like it, that your vote is a power invested in you by the U. S. Constitution and that it does make a difference in your future and America’s.  The voting polls do not distinguish whether or not you are deaf, each American counts as 1 vote!