In November of 1980, I boldly declared to my dad that I was “for Jimmy Carter”. When he asked me why, my answer was honest, “Because you are.” Now, many parents would be pleased to have their child parroting their political opinions, but not my dad. His reply to me was this: “Well, that’s not a very good reason.”
This conversation has stuck with me for years (I can tell you exactly where we were standing, and I bet my dad is still wearing the same glasses frames he was wearing that day). And I dare say this was one of the more significant milestones in my evolution as a citizen. Some may say that my dad’s response was a harsh criticism of a child – “Surely he couldn’t expect an eight-year-old to have an informed political opinion,” you might suggest. But that’s just it – he did. He expected his eight-year-old daughter to have an informed political opinion. And to support a candidate simply by mimicking my parents’ support was not good enough; Dad knew I was capable of much more. And his belief in my capacity for informed political thought set me on a course to becoming the citizen I am today. He valued my opinion, and he showed me that my opinion mattered. Yes, my opinion and vote were important to him, even if it meant that twenty years later my vote would end up cancelling out his (though that won’t be happening this year because (a) dad has returned from a sojourn to the dark side and (b) I live in another state).
So, today, as I return from the polls, I thank my father for his belief in me and his insistency that I become a thoughtful and knowledgeable voter. Believe me, becoming familiar with the ins and outs of Chicago politics has been no easy task (and oh, do I ever have a lot more to learn about “the Machine”), but I wouldn’t have it any other way. Being a citizen is more than just exercising my right to vote; it is taking the responsibility to cast an informed, thoughtful, and even faithful, decision. And I believe this is what I have just accomplished.
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7 comments:
Oh that we would all encourage our children to think, and believe, and act accordingly- for themselves. Another great post. Thanks.
Excellent post Rachel... my parents had much the same attitude and expectation. It fueled a passion for caring, about issues, about the world, that I am grateful to still carry today.
Dad still is wearing the same frames. At least his politics has changed (back to more of the Jimmy Carter days). Ree
Ree, yeah, Dad's Carter-era politics are good, but the Carter-era specs? Not so much. But if he keeps wearing them for another decade or so, then, they are bound to come back in style and he will actually be trendy. Our dad, a trend-setter. Imagine that...
But what if his politics return as well? Not something we should risk. The specs must go. Ree
Ah, but his politics have already returned (and not just to Dad, but to the country. And by a pretty significant mandate). And while Dad has a "colorful" voting history (can we say purple?), his loyalty to his frames cannot be questioned. So I think equating his specs to the political landscape of our country is neither an accurate analogy nor a rational fear.
Rachel, we should all fear those frames. Ree
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