Blog the Vote!!!
Colleen Mondor, always brilliant, suggests that we BLOG THE VOTE over at Chasing Ray.
I’m in!
And to begin with, I just want to take a second to talk about how we can involve children in the “Democratic Process,” how important I think it is that we do so.
When I was a kid, politics were all around me. My dad was active in Democratic and Socialist (yes, SOCIALIST!) organizations in the Baltimore area, so I grew up in the basements and backyards of such groups. My dad also ran for sheriff of Baltimore City at one point, helped work for wonderful candidates, and took us to demonstrations, which always felt to me the way state fairs feel to some people. Boisterous, energized, holidayish.
By the time I was in high school I was working for my own candidates, referendums, and demonstrating for my own causes. I understood all of these things to be essential to the American experience. Being American and patriotic was about making one’s voice heard. USING ones freedoms.
But in my adult life, the state fair quality felt like it had disappeared altogether. Until this year.
This year, people are out in the streets, gathering in bars to watch debates, talking and thinking about issues. This year people are passionate. And THIS YEAR I have my own children. So for me, right now (I already voted) the election is about kids, most especially my own.
As a mom and a children’s author, I’m thinking a ton about kids, and about how making a place for our children in the political process is the best way to insure we have a next generation that wants to participate.
So tonight, we’ll go rally with our chosen candidates at the state capitol. And tomorrow, I’ll be taking the boys to host an “Election storytime” in a public place . And then, tomorrow night, we’ll go to an election party and stay up late, watching returns come in.
Not because any of that stuff will affect THIS election. But because all of those things will affect my boys, and the other kids present.
And I really really want to believe THAT will affect elections down the road. However my kids align themselves politically, whether they agree with me or not, I desperately want them to love politics. I want them to feel like they’re a big part of how this country works. Starting NOW!
What’re your kids doing tomorrow?
November 3rd, 2008 at 2:40 pm
After your post I’m feeling much better about (a) dragging my kids around the neighborhoods to canvas and (b) dragging them to a huge rally tonight where we will have to wait for hours, standing, to see our man. Tomorrow will probably hand out flyers at the polls. And I feel the same as you – that I want them to be involved, to know that it matters, and to be part of it all.
November 5th, 2008 at 12:51 pm
There weren’t many rallies here in RI, but I did let my children stay up late and repeatly click Virginia (my home state) on the NY Times website, which they enjoyed….