Grassroots
I feel like I'm letting my blog down or that I'm not being true to myself because there's so much that's happening in my/our world today and I'm largely silent about much of it. Sure, I've written a fair amount, but not an amount that's anywhere near proportionate or deserving of the corruption we're witnessing unfold within Trump's* administration. What's happening within our government is of serious concern to me. I would hate to have a grandchild sitting across from me decades from now wondering if I stood up to any of the madness that's happening in our politics today. Clicking on the years 2017-2018 in my blog's right margin to reveal my thoughts would lead one to think my main focus was about riding or stained glass or golfing, with only some passing concern for what Trump's* administration is doing to our country, and that's not enough. I want to be sure there's no mistake as to which side of history I was on when we look back at this mess.
But to do my part it's going to take more than an occasional post in my blog or on Facebook. I've signed on as treasurer with Maggie Williams's campaign for a seat in the Minnesota State Legislature. Maggie and her husband Jeff have two young, smiling, vibrant boys in their fascination-with-all-things-dinosaur-related phase and up until November 2016, they were quietly going about their middle-class, suburban lives. The last election awoke in them a passion and a need to do more. They've been on a path they never intended to walk ever since.
Maggie and Jeff began hosting meetings in their home around this time a year ago for people who wanted to get involved in truly taking back our country, neighborhood by neighborhood, district by district. Tammy got me involved. I've never been involved in any sort of grassroots movement and this is exactly that. It was at one of these small meetings where I first met Jeff Erdmann and his wife Ruth. Jeff is running for Congress in Minnesota's 2nd Congressional District to try and unseat Jason Lewis, but he must first win the party's endorsement over Angie Craig, another very good candidate.
There actually is a blue wave out here with lots of people, some quietly motivated, some not so quiet, all intending to make an impact on this next election cycle. It's never been more important in my lifetime.
I'm buoyed by news of wins by Democrats for State House Legislative seats in elections in Missouri this week in districts where the thought of anyone other than a hard-core republican winning was previously unheard of. But then I turn on Fox News and I listen to an alternative reality that still holds sway over far too many among us and I'm back to shaking my head and thoughts of what I consider to be brainwashed masses.
Millennials now make up as large a voting block as do the people of my generation—the Baby Boomers. They're the ones who will be picking up the tab for our excesses yet many in my generation are quick to mock them for being only interested in themselves. And to add insult to injury, our conservative politicians have shown no interest in trying to lighten their load by providing low-interest loans to finance their college loan debt, instead, the benefactors of conservative politicians continue to be large corporations and their windfall in tax cuts, tax cuts for the already-wealthy and increased spending for an obscenely bloated military. We have to do better by those coming behind us before getting up from the table and walking out on the tab we've rung up.
Probably more than anyone, millennials have so much riding on these upcoming election cycles and it's going to be more important than ever to make sure they appreciate that and that they become involved. They hold the key to our country's future and now more than ever is the time for them to make their voices heard.
But to do my part it's going to take more than an occasional post in my blog or on Facebook. I've signed on as treasurer with Maggie Williams's campaign for a seat in the Minnesota State Legislature. Maggie and her husband Jeff have two young, smiling, vibrant boys in their fascination-with-all-things-dinosaur-related phase and up until November 2016, they were quietly going about their middle-class, suburban lives. The last election awoke in them a passion and a need to do more. They've been on a path they never intended to walk ever since.Maggie and Jeff began hosting meetings in their home around this time a year ago for people who wanted to get involved in truly taking back our country, neighborhood by neighborhood, district by district. Tammy got me involved. I've never been involved in any sort of grassroots movement and this is exactly that. It was at one of these small meetings where I first met Jeff Erdmann and his wife Ruth. Jeff is running for Congress in Minnesota's 2nd Congressional District to try and unseat Jason Lewis, but he must first win the party's endorsement over Angie Craig, another very good candidate.
There actually is a blue wave out here with lots of people, some quietly motivated, some not so quiet, all intending to make an impact on this next election cycle. It's never been more important in my lifetime.
I'm buoyed by news of wins by Democrats for State House Legislative seats in elections in Missouri this week in districts where the thought of anyone other than a hard-core republican winning was previously unheard of. But then I turn on Fox News and I listen to an alternative reality that still holds sway over far too many among us and I'm back to shaking my head and thoughts of what I consider to be brainwashed masses.
Millennials now make up as large a voting block as do the people of my generation—the Baby Boomers. They're the ones who will be picking up the tab for our excesses yet many in my generation are quick to mock them for being only interested in themselves. And to add insult to injury, our conservative politicians have shown no interest in trying to lighten their load by providing low-interest loans to finance their college loan debt, instead, the benefactors of conservative politicians continue to be large corporations and their windfall in tax cuts, tax cuts for the already-wealthy and increased spending for an obscenely bloated military. We have to do better by those coming behind us before getting up from the table and walking out on the tab we've rung up.
Probably more than anyone, millennials have so much riding on these upcoming election cycles and it's going to be more important than ever to make sure they appreciate that and that they become involved. They hold the key to our country's future and now more than ever is the time for them to make their voices heard.
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