@HLawver - The girl who says 'Hello!'

Hello!  My name is Heather Lawver, I’m 27 years old, I live outside Washington, DC, and I’m a registered Independent.
    I don’t work for a political organization. In fact, I don’t work at all right now. I’ve never really been involved in politics before.
    But I’ve always believed that if I complain about something, I better be prepared to do something to fix it, if I’m able. Thus when I have an idea that might address a particular problem, I feel honor bound to do something about it.

    That’s why this site exists.

    That’s also why I have a bit of a history of doing crazy projects like this. When I was 16 I launched PotterWar, a major international boycott against Warner Brothers. In 2000, Warner had been sending excessively threatening cease & desist letters to adolescent owners of Harry Potter fan sites. I believed those young fans were innocent, their work protected under Fair Use. Rather than complain, I saw an opportunity to act, so I did.
    After six months of campaigning, constant news interviews, TV appearances, negotiations with senior Warner executives, & organizing fan efforts, the boycott was successful. It was the first successful fan campaign of its kind. PotterWar resulted in setting all kinds of legal precedents that completely revolutionized the way major Hollywood studios approach the growing interactivity of our media culture. It established protections for remix culture & fan interaction that have allowed the Internet to flourish. PotterWar is now studied by college students worldwide, thanks to being included in two college textbooks written by professors from MIT & Stanford Law.
    Speaking of that, yeah… I still haven’t been to college.

    In 2008, when concerned for the health of obviously underage Chinese gymnasts competing in the Beijing Summer Olympic Games, I came across another opportunity to address a problem.
    Working together with StrydeHax, an infamous American hacker, we coordinated a network of underground sources from within China, who bravely provided us with endless documents, photos, & videos. We uncovered absolute proof of literally decades of Chinese deception, and worst of all, institutionalized abduction & abuse of thousands of children. All in the name of sport.
    We released our information to the public, and again I was caught up in a whirlwind of news interviews. Our efforts resulted in an absolute first – the International Olympic Committee revoked an Olympic bronze medal originally awarded to the Chinese womens gymnastics team during the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. A decade later, those bronze medals were rightly awarded to the original fourth place finishers, the United States.
    Growing up, I spent years as a gymnast, dreaming of one day winning my own Olympic medal. Unfortunately, my ill health ended those dreams when I was 11 years old. I think I’ve done alright, though. That accomplishment was certainly close enough!

    Despite these adventures – and many more – I’ve spent over half of my life battling serious illness. At the moment I am mostly confined to bed, thanks to a very rare genetic condition. I don’t always have a lot of opportunities to change the world. There usually isn’t that much I’m physically able to do.
    But when I have an opportunity to make a difference, to reach beyond the confines of my bedroom, I have to take that chance.

    Now I see an opportunity to do something even bigger, even more important. I firmly believe that President Obama is leading our nation down a very dangerous path. Our debt continues to climb each & every day, yet Obama has promised to keep spending more & more. Thanks to the irresponsible behavior of both parties, our government is growing unchecked, unchallenged, with no signs of stopping. We are on a perilous trajectory.

    I believe Obama is leading us toward financial collapse.

    We have a chance – one chance – to change the course of our nation’s fate.
    I simply must do everything in my power to speak up, share important information, and encourage my fellow voters to make what I believe to be the correct choice for our country.
    I hope you’ll do the same.

    Want to learn more about me?

    Please feel free to check out my personal blog, The Heather Show! It’s full of all sorts of delightful nonsense.
    You can also follow me on Twitter – @HLawver. Just be prepared for lots of randomness!
    If you have any questions or comments, head over to the contact page to learn how to email or text me directly! I try my best to answer every message I receive. But please forgive me if it takes a little while for me to respond!
    Thank you!