Politics and all that
(cross posted at Midcentury Modern Moms)
Do your children agree with your political views?
My political views lean to the left...I call myself a moderate Democrat with liberal leanings. I must admit, my political leanings are very similar to those of my parents. My mom was a committeewoman for our local Democratic Party back in the 70's, and my first political experience was stuffing envelopes at Democratic headquarters during the town council elections. I participated in a number of political rallies in college -- my mother compared me to Barbra Streisand's character in The Way We Were -- took several courses in political science and served as an intern in state government.
Jen does NOT share my love of politics. Every once in awhile I will hear her say something that shows she's aligned with the rest of the family in her political thinking, but it's really not something that interests her. Of course, she was majorly disappointed that her 18th birthday -- in November 2008 -- was a few days AFTER Election Day. But this year she' probably won't even vote -- I couldn't even induce her to get the absentee ballot by telling her she could vote for a good friend's father.
Yes, Jen is friends with the daughter of our local Congressman, a friendship that goes back the middle school when they attended each other's bat mitzvah party -- and is unimpressed with how "important" the girl's father is. In fact, one summer she went to travel camp with the Congressman's daughter and the daughter of the man who was running against him! The kids had no idea their fathers were political opponents until the camp trip to Washington, DC included a personal tour of Capitol Hill....
But Becca, on the other hand...Becca has embraced politics and political science. In high school she participated in a program -- I forget the name of it -- where she spent a week in Washington visiting political leaders and participating in a mock Congress. Now that she is in college, she is seriously considering a major in political science. And yes, she leans to the left.
What made me laugh, though....Becca and her friends went to a political rally. Not to participate, only to observe, as part of a class assignment. The behavior of the participants was more at issue than the substance of their arguments.
It was a Tea Party rally. My very liberal daughter went to a Tea Party rally.
Do your children agree with your political views?
My political views lean to the left...I call myself a moderate Democrat with liberal leanings. I must admit, my political leanings are very similar to those of my parents. My mom was a committeewoman for our local Democratic Party back in the 70's, and my first political experience was stuffing envelopes at Democratic headquarters during the town council elections. I participated in a number of political rallies in college -- my mother compared me to Barbra Streisand's character in The Way We Were -- took several courses in political science and served as an intern in state government.
Jen does NOT share my love of politics. Every once in awhile I will hear her say something that shows she's aligned with the rest of the family in her political thinking, but it's really not something that interests her. Of course, she was majorly disappointed that her 18th birthday -- in November 2008 -- was a few days AFTER Election Day. But this year she' probably won't even vote -- I couldn't even induce her to get the absentee ballot by telling her she could vote for a good friend's father.
Yes, Jen is friends with the daughter of our local Congressman, a friendship that goes back the middle school when they attended each other's bat mitzvah party -- and is unimpressed with how "important" the girl's father is. In fact, one summer she went to travel camp with the Congressman's daughter and the daughter of the man who was running against him! The kids had no idea their fathers were political opponents until the camp trip to Washington, DC included a personal tour of Capitol Hill....
But Becca, on the other hand...Becca has embraced politics and political science. In high school she participated in a program -- I forget the name of it -- where she spent a week in Washington visiting political leaders and participating in a mock Congress. Now that she is in college, she is seriously considering a major in political science. And yes, she leans to the left.
What made me laugh, though....Becca and her friends went to a political rally. Not to participate, only to observe, as part of a class assignment. The behavior of the participants was more at issue than the substance of their arguments.
It was a Tea Party rally. My very liberal daughter went to a Tea Party rally.
My voting age son registered as soon as he was eligible and then I signed him up (along with me) as permanent absentee which ensures that he will *always* vote (at least as long as he lives at my house & I can nag him to fill out the ballot!) He's pretty left leaning, though also somewhat apathetic & not nearly as into it as I am.
ReplyDelete14 year old is still developing those views, but I think he will be even more engaged in the process than his brother. His dad is conservative & listens to talk radio in the car with him & they talk about the issues. He knows full well I'm a liberal & he often watches Rachel or Keith with me and we talk about things regularly. Which way will he lean? Hard to tell! But I'm just happy that he seems interested in the process.
Your boys sound a bit like my girls.
ReplyDeleteBwuahahahaha...my very liberal daughter might have blown a gasket if she found herself at a Tea Party rally! Poor girl...your daughter I mean :)
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