Mike Honda is a U.S. Congressman representing the 15th Congressional District of California, which encompasses parts of Santa Clara County including San Jose and much of Silicon Valley. Since he first took office in 2001, Congressman Honda has been a leading advocate in the areas of education, healthcare and technology. We've asked him to post on the Facebook blog today about how he recently used Facebook to share the experience of the inauguration of the next President of the United States, Barack Obama, with his constituents.


In just a few days, the United States will celebrate a historic moment—the inauguration of President-Elect Barack Obama. We face an era of great opportunity but also one that holds many challenges for Americans and people around the world. As the country transitions from politics to governance, I'm reminded of the Obama campaign's constant refrain and call for change.

Change means giving people a voice. Change means harnessing the collective knowledge of our citizens. Change means getting involved. Today, more and more of these voices and citizens are online. So when it came time to award tickets to the inauguration ceremony, I naturally decided to celebrate President-Elect Obama's innovative spirit and go online via Facebook to ask people to share their ideas and suggestions for change.

Two programs were created for constituents to request tickets. One asked people to post to my Facebook Page about why they want to attend Obama's inauguration. The other asked my constituents to propose ideas for how to reduce educational inequity and reform America's education system. In addition to reflecting on the historic meaning of this inauguration, I also wanted to get people to think about a specific area in dire need of change. Today, children in America receive vastly unequal educational experiences and opportunities due to substantial differences in school funding. As a former teacher and principal, eliminating these injustices is one of my top priorities.

Those who shared particularly interesting perspectives and stories were given tickets to the Presidential inauguration ceremony in Washington, D.C. Comments flooded in and this past week, I hosted a ceremony to congratulate the ticket recipients and posted their submissions online.

Ticket recipient Paula Messina, a professor at San Jose State University, told us her inspiring story. Paula wrote, "Without a decent education, I wouldn't be where I am now... If I can do my part to energize the next generation of educators, I'll be doing my part to help bring the excitement of learning to countless youngsters in the Bay Area and beyond." I also provided a ticket to Courtney Horn, a high school freshman, who asked for one on behalf of her mom to show gratitude for the sacrifices she made for her family as a single mother. Also, check out the rap video that Amani Green from San Jose submitted, explaining why she is excited about going to the inauguration.

This approach elicited many thoughtful and creative responses, which further validates my belief that technology is driving a fundamental change in how people engage one another. Facebook—a platform for people to share, interact and organize—is one of the core components of this transformation. More than ever before, you have a voice to facilitate change.

I'd like to hear from you today. How can we continue this dialogue and collaborate to enhance civic participation -- online and offline? How can we most effectively harness the collective knowledge of the American public to improve policy making and bring a brighter future for the next generation? Post a comment on my Page, write on my Wall and encourage your friends to join our conversation, as well. Thanks for participating—I'm listening.


Mike Honda, the U.S. Congressman representing the 15th Congressional District of California, hopes to hear from you on Facebook.