I think, if you’ve read my blog much, you probably realize that I’m an independent type of person. And by independent, I mean feminist. That’s how I was raised. Above and beyond the lessons my mother taught me, and the examples of my grandmothers, though, at a certain age I looked around at the world, and thought to myself, “Yeah, that makes the most sense.” Some of the other things parents and grandparents tried to teach didn’t make it through the filter.
Another influence on my young mind was Judy Blume. I *loved* her books Superfudge and Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. So, when I saw a write up for the site YA for Obama on Salon:Broadsheet, I had to check it out.
Here’s a letter from Ms. Blume, posted on the site:
Why I Support Obama
The first time I was old enough to vote in a presidential election John Kennedy was running against Richard Nixon. I was 22, married, expecting my first child and living in suburban New Jersey. My husband, a lawyer, belonged to the Young Republicans club. He expected me to help his cause by making phone calls urging people to vote for Nixon.
I never made those calls. And on election day I was thrilled to pull the lever, casting my vote for Kennedy. I’ve never responded well to being told what to do. I prefer to make up my own mind.
Like so many others, I was inspired by John Kennedy and excited about the possibilities for our country. Coming out of the sleepy, complacent fifties, he made me believe that change was possible. I believed in him the way my parents believed in Roosevelt. I remember the night Roosevelt died in April, 1945. I was seven years old and just recovering from chicken pox. When my parents heard the news on the radio, they fell into each other’s arms, crying. I cried, too, although I didn’t have a clue.
My generation wept the same way when we lost John Kennedy. Then Martin Luther King. Then Bobby Kennedy. We mourned what might have been. In the dark days that followed, those of us who were young and idealistic were forced to grow up fast. I watched the Vietnam war unfold on TV as I played on the floor with my two small children. I became a skeptic about politics and politicians. Yet there was never an election when I didn’t vote. For me, voting was both obligation and privilege.
I’ve never spoken publicly about my politics. But I’m speaking out now because at last we have a candidate who makes me believe again. A candidate who I see as America’s best hope, a candidate who inspires not just my grandson’s generation, but my own, and my children’s.
Whoever is elected in November is going to face a daunting challenge. No one person can clean up the mess it took 7 and ½ years to create. That’s why I want the calm, thoughtful candidate I believe will surround himself with the best and the brightest. I believe the decisions Obama makes will be made based on what’s best for this country.
I want a president who can make us proud as Americans. How great would it be after 7 and ½ years to have an articulate leader, an eloquent speaker, one who is not only willing to talk, but to listen? I believe Obama will be that kind of president. Plus, he has a sense of humor. He has two young daughters and a working wife. He’s smart. And let’s not forget the magic. Nothing wrong with having the ability to connect with people around the world –young, old, and in-between.
In some ways an election is like life – a lot of muck comes your way. It’s hard sometimes to slog through it. It’s exhausting. It can be scary. You can feel like you’re drowning in it. You’ve got to work hard to pull yourself up and out of it, then to rise above it. We need a leader who can help us do that. That’s why I’m supporting Barack Obama.
All I ask is that you make an informed decision. It’s about the issues. It’s about health care, the economy, education, the environment, a woman’s right to choose, equal pay for equal work — it’s about who will be appointed to the Supreme Court, and it’s about never rushing into war again – not without all the facts, not without trying everything we can to prevent war first. This election is too important for all of us to decide in any other way.
Tell your parents, tell your grandparents, it’s not just about them this time. It’s about you and your future. It’s about my grandson’s future. That’s why I’m speaking out.
Thanks,
Judy
“Are you there, Judy? It’s me, PeggyLuWho. I just wanted to say ‘thanks’.”
Yesterday I got my absentee ballot in the mail. I filled it out. I mailed it back today.
Go out and vote people.
If you’re in California, and you’re not registered, you have until the 20th.
Peggy Lu Who's Just Sayin' 