Wednesday night at a small college group gathering that has been taking place long before election night, we gathered and talked about the election, and more specifically: What exactly does “change” mean? That was never clear to me throughout Barack Obama’s campaign, to be 100% honest. But, hearing his victory speech, this segment stuck out to me the most:

“This victory alone is not the change we seek – it is only the chance for us to make that change. And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were. It cannot happen without you.

So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism; of service and responsibility where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves, but each other. Let us remember that if this financial crisis taught us anything, it’s that we cannot have a thriving Wall Street while Main Street suffers – in this country, we rise or fall as one nation; as one people.

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This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment. This is our time – to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American Dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth – that out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope, and where we are met with cynicism, and doubt, and those who tell us that we can’t, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people:

Yes We Can.”

At that college group session, as we talked about what we believed the role of the federal government to be, I found, more than ever, that Republicans and Democrats represent only one thing: watchdogs for the extreme. Both positions are vital to keep us from swinging too far toward communism or fascism (which, ironically enough, in the end are entirely similar). But, while those may be our politicians and while those may be our only major parties, we must recognize that they do not represent America as a people. As a people, we must be the ones to stand up and listen, really listen, to one another and try our utmost to understand them. We must be the ones who pay attention to what is happening on Capitol Hill, and if we don’t like it, we must be the ones to stand up and say so.

Now, more than ever, we must remember that those who sit on Capitol Hill and in the White House are there only because we have placed them there — they are our employees and it is our duty to ensure that they are doing the job to our standards. We must remember that this nation was founded for the people, and most important of all, by the people. If we continue to sit idly by, resigned to let the politicians in D.C. do whatever they please with our country, then our country will most certainly fail.

So what is the answer?

Throw aside your political party affiliation. Forget it. Stand by your fellow American, no matter if she thinks differently than you. In your neighborhoods, sit, have some coffee, and talk about what matters most to you in your neighborhood. Start small, by all means. But the point is that we must get involved.

I will give the party mechanisms this: They have some great practices in place. When I participated in the Democratic caucuses this past January, after we went through the presidential nomination process, there was ample time to get together and put forth propositions and proposals for the Democratic party to consider bringing forth in Congress. That is what we must do as well. But not in the arena of petty party politics, because doing it only with like-minded citizens, we miss entirely the opportunity to find compromise amongst ourselves to bring to our politicians.

You want to know the Change that I desire most? When party politics are set aside and American citizens take to the streets to get the real work of America done, side by side, hand in hand, red and blue long forgotten. You want to know the Change I desire most? For no one’s patriotism to be called into question because of their party affiliation. You want to know the Change I desire most? For the American people to stop playing into the false idea that we have no place in politics, that we should just let the politicians do as they please once elected. I want to see more politicians elected who are of the mindset that they cast their votes not on their own conscience, but expressly based on what their people want.

I want to see Americans get off their couches, put the remote down and get involved. Not just with those they agree with, but above all, with those whom they disagree. How often do we all complain that nothing gets done in Congress, that it’s all petty politics, only to turn to our neighbor and dismiss them because of their political beliefs? We must recognize the importance of all of our ideals for this country, no matter how different and remember that, as Barack Obama said, “We rise or fall as one nation, as one people.”

I want Americans to realize and remember that voting is not the end of our civic duty, that further involvement is vital.

We would do well to remember that now, more than ever.

Change is on the way, but only if we take it in our hands.