Demonstrating, Working for Change

Sometimes being a hero means more than just having the guts to say what you believe in. Sometimes it means stepping up and doing something to make the changes you’d like to see happen in the world.

Cartersville resident Danielle Crane has always known that she would do big things. A small-town girl born with big ideas and big town goals, she’s never been afraid to voice her opinion, even when it wasn’t the most popular.

“Having been born and spending the first few years of my life on the west coast, I immediately had a tendency for different views than most people here,” said Crane. “But I believe it’s important to voice your opinions because the best result comes around from a lot of different opinions being mixed together.”

Following her natural interest for travel and politics, Crane decided to study at the University of Georgia after graduating from Cass High School in 2006. Over the course of four years, she challenged herself and her own opinions, learning as much about the world as she could before graduating with a double major in International Affairs and Spanish in the summer of 2010.

Throughout the course of her college career, Crane managed to fit in an awful lot of traveling with the belief that you can’t really know until you’ve been there. She studied abroad in Xalapa, Mexico, for a year where she became fluent in Spanish and then spent another year in Spain after she graduated college, teaching with the Cultural Ambassadors program in Saragossa.

All her time spent traveling influenced the way Crane looks at the United States and the potential she believes we have as a nation.

“I know that a lot of people in this country are afraid of big government. They look at things differently in Europe. For example, over there health care is just another right and another purpose of government,” said Crane. “We’re one of the last developed democracies without universal healthcare. Seeing those kinds of differences really influenced me. I think there’s a reason why people who’ve lived abroad tend to vote Democrat. It’s because you see how it really works with other countries.”  

It wasn’t long after returning to the states in the summer of 2011 and searching for a way to get involved that Crane landed a job as a field manager with The Democratic Party of Georgia. It's a position that now enables her to finally immerse herself in the issues that really mean the most to her, like immigration laws, healthcare, public education, improved public transportation and the HOPE Scholarship.

Crane is excited about how the Democratic Party is currently faring in Georgia.

“Back when Organizing for America was doing Obama’s campaign in 2008 they felt they weren’t making a huge difference in Georgia so they decided to move on to North Carolina. Well, when the results came out Obama had 47 percent support in Georgia. It surprised everyone,” said Crane.

“They were kicking themselves because they should have stayed here and they’re not gonna make that mistake twice. Georgia is finally moving away from Good Ole Boy politics, but there’s still so much to do. We’re still ranked 48th in education and Atlanta traffic is just getting worse with our current public transportation system.”

Crane is currently helping to organize a Democratic demonstration at the capitol in Atlanta where they will address some of the most pressing issues facing Georgia’s residents today. Issues that Crane says are not just relevant to the Democratic Party.

The demonstration will take place Monday, Aug. 15, from 12 to 3 p.m.

There will be many issues addressed at the demonstration including the recent cuts to the HOPE Scholarship, potential Republican gerrymandering, public transportation and public education.

However, the issue Crane asserts will be the focal point of the day is the Immigration Bill recently passed by Georgia’s House of Representatives.

According to a recent post by Crane concerning the August demonstration, the Immigration Bill has caused some big issues.

“On April 15th, 2011, Georgia's House of Representatives passed a bill known as HB87, or the Immigration Bill. The bill has crippled an already suffering economy with over 9 BILLION dollars in lost crops. Blueberries, peaches, and onions among others are rotting in South Georgia's farms and many farmers are going bankrupt. Why? Because there has been an Exodus of their valuable Latino workforce. Police are separating families and deporting many people, including one instance where police entered a restaurant, saw two people eating, and deported them. (The bill states that police officers have to have a reason to question them, such as a speeding ticket).” 

Crane says it’s time to get past the “good ole boy” style of politics in Georgia and that the democrats are speaking up and demanding representation for minorities and seniors.

“You don't have to be a democrat, or be particularly convicted when it comes to politics,” states Crane in her demonstration post. “Whether you want the HOPE Scholarship to stay around for yourself, your brothers and sisters, or your children, or you care about immigration, public education, transportation, or Georgia's farmers, come out April 15 to the State Capitol in Atlanta. Show Georgia's legislature your opinion.”