Welcome Joe Biden and Kamala Harris! This is a wonderful, sunshine moment in a devastating year.
America voted Tuesday, Nov. 3 and on Saturday, Nov. 7 it was determined the evil forces have lost their job. Thank goodness for goodness. We can’t imagine how much further back America would have fallen if the people hadn’t reversed the evil tide of the past four years.
I want to share a little story about politics and the importance of paying attention.
When your Mom (Clickman grandkids) and Dad (Beaupre grandkids) were growing up, Grammy and I often discussed politics at the dinner table – and honestly, at any time of day whenever important topics came up. We never shied away from sharing our frustrations or hopes for the following reasons:
- We wanted our kids (Tim and Nicole) to understand the world around them and why politics do matter in the everyday lives of every American. People are impacted (sometimes positively, sometimes negatively) by decisions made (or not made) by elected officials. Sadly, many politicians are only in it for themselves, to become wealthy and gain more power. Who suffers? All but the greedy and wealthy, including Planet Earth.
- Grammy and I lived through the 1960’s and 1970’s, two of the most volatile and historic decades in U.S. history. I was 10 when John F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963; Grammy was eight. I was 15, Grammy 13, when Martin Luther King and Bobby Kennedy were assassinated in 1968. The War in Vietnam was at its peak in the late 60’s and early 1970’s. Every newspaper, radio and TV news program featured the Vietnam war on a daily basis – innocent people were bombed and killed, we saw them shot and gassed on the evening news. A distant Asian nation (Vietnam) was devastated for no reason other then U.S. corporate and government greed.
- We saw and read stories about innocent college students shot down in cold blood on the campus of Kent State by National Guard soldiers. We watched American city streets on fire and political protests by disenfranchised minorities.
- In the summer of 1971, after graduating from high school, and before going to college, I worked in the local office (Somersworth) of Senator George McGovern. He ultimately became the Democratic nominee against Richard Nixon when Nixon successfully ran for his second term of office in 1972. Grammy and I lived through the Nixon years (the worst president in our lifetime until Donald Trump) who was impeached in 1974 and flown out of Washington, D.C. on a helicopter. We saw what happened when the wrong people were elected. We paid attention when women mobilized to gain respect and equal rights and students protested inequities and injustice. We were angered and frustrated when corporate interests and many greedy Republicans (they’re not all like this) took over the White House for 13 years.
- We wanted our children to be on the right side, the side that helps make American lives better, not worse (in an authentic, profound way, not with false claims and hidden racist meanings like “Make America Better”). Politics can be a force for tremendous good, or near consuming evil.
Grammy and I are proud of your parents – they both absorbed those conversations around the dinner table. They paid attention. The seeds we had planted blossomed. Today (and for many years) they’ve understood the importance of staying informed and supporting elected officials who give a damn and work to make lives better.
We’ve continued our tradition of discussing politics together, especially over the past four years. We all know friends and relatives who haven’t been able to express their opinions and discuss politics in the same room – or sadly, the same family – because of the extreme, bipolar, sometimes cruel and uncaring opinions some people have embraced since 2016.
Since the orange narcissist man was elected, the nation and world witnessed the damaging effects of a corrupt, racist, uncaring, negative, money-focused individual (he’s never been Our President; we never used those words). Our country has been isolated and torn apart; the entire world noticed and suffered the consequences. That’s why I worked with Dover Democrats this Fall to help get out the vote at a local level for this year’s Presidential Election and make sure any rejected absentee votes were fixed and counted.
Despite our mutual frustrations and high levels of stress as the Election neared, Grammy and I enjoyed every second of the many active conversations we’ve had with your parents about Trump and his crooked cronies. The biggest highlight? Witnessing a new generation, our grandchildren – YOU – espouse, embrace and support the good side of politics that’s working hard to make the world a better place. You’ve been listening and paying attention!
Remember this election grandchildren!
Continue to pay attention! Never blindly accept anything. Beware of Machiavellian despots and tyrants (look up the words). Read, listen, debate and stay informed. Do your own research and form your own opinions. Get involved and don’t be afraid to respectfully express your views (humor helps). Be a mentor and guide to your own loved ones as the years go by and plant new seeds that blossom for the new generation that come into your lives.
We’re so proud of you!
