Congratulations, America! You’ve just jaded a new generation of pint-sized doubters and skeptics!
When my sons woke up this morning they proclaimed it was a glorious day…not because of election results, for we are not feeling so glorious about that. They were raising their child-size fists in the air because there will be no more political ads on TV and radio stations. At the tender age of nine, Deal wondered why all the ads were so negative. Both boys said all they heard were attacks on Obama, leaving them to wonder why Obama was running for anything at all. It was a head-scratching lesson to explain that the GOP hates our President more than they support their constituents. In their young minds, being an elected official is a privilege that should focus on people over power. I hate to stick a pin in that idealist bubble. The boys smartly noted that no candidates spoke positively or shared what they would do for the people; instead, they all pounded down their opponents. My sons’ sponge brains absorb the messages and actions of collective adults in their sphere. Gone are the days when just Mac Daddy and I influence their ideologies.
My eldest son, Bird, will be registering to vote in six years. He’s paying attention. We are a politically-minded house. Our dinner table conversations often center around topics like immigration, education reform, unions, and the like. The boys have been at my side in the voting booth in every election since they were born. They have marched, protested, written letters, and learned about various issues in our community. It’s my duty as their mom to involve them in our political process, flawed as it is. Apparently civics isn’t taught in school anymore. Neither of my sons discussed yesterday’s election in school. Granted, there was a unit on government in third grade, but nothing taught in the here and now to connect the dots for students. I suppose the curriculum map is set, and everyone must follow the path full steam ahead. Anyway, Deal recently joked to his fourth grade teacher that I would disown him if I ever found out he didn’t vote.
The boys know their vote is their voice.
But now they are cynical and disenchanted. They are only 11 and nine-years old. Bird and Deal palpably felt the negative energy spewing from the television and bristled at the campaign signs that said Hagan=Obamacare. They are still left wondering what the elected representatives will do for our country, our state, our community. From their perspective, politics is ugly, hateful, tiresome, and negative. I can’t say I disagree but I refuse to sit by idly letting that mindset perpetuate. As a nation, we owe our children more than what we have given them through obscene political campaign spending, vile attack tactics, Koch Brothers spending, and Citizens United. My sons have two perspectives when it comes to money – how many children could we have fed and how many children could we have vaccinated with the dollars spent on campaigns?
The only mouth we feed is the political beast.
There will be no healing as a country while the people who are in office focus more on their hate of our President than love of their constituents. We must stop the Koch Brothers and Citizens United. Campaign spending is obscene, and the power grab has left everyone filled with hubris instead of service. Call me an idealist, but I look to the likes of Paul Wellstone as someone who served his constituents and cared more about his people than his power.