I can’t get excited about the upcoming election. Apathetic voters are always a concern, but trepidation from former Kool-Aid drinkers like me should be especially disturbing to campaign managers everywhere.
That’s right; I’m a lifelong liberal and Democratic activist.
Doctors used forceps on my mother when she gave birth to me back in 1969, and although the official explanation was my large head and stubborn streak, in reality, I was trying to avoid the Nixon administration.
Growing up, I could often be found at the adult table during family dinners arguing against Reagan and trickle-down economics.
I fought against apartheid and George Bush with the same vigor.
On my 18th birthday, I registered to vote and have been volunteering for campaigns and politicians ever since. But this year, something within me changed and I can no longer muster the passion and delusional thinking required to help someone attain elected office. Candidates seem like nothing other than spokes in the same wheel, and I refuse to participate in anything that keeps them rolling over the rest of us.
I’ve been looking at the issues instead. As I read the list of amendments that require our input on November 2, one has stood out. It is an amendment that will help to preserve our environment, encourage responsible growth, and stop destructive business practices that threaten our economy: Amendment 4.
This article appears in Sep 9-15, 2010.