At my pappy's knee: the anniversary of my political awakening

[Generic Other]

This is the anniversary of my political awakening. About this time of year when I was just a tomboy in pigtails, my dad talked me and my nephew into putting a moustache on my older brother's giant Goldwater poster. It was during the primary season, and Goldwater actually drove by my brother's house right past the poster on his campaign swing through NH.

My dad laughed so hard when my brother discovered our vandalism...my favorite memory of Dad...My poor nephew got in lots more trouble that day than I did for taking part in the whole subversive sign defacing operation. I think it's why he's a rightwinger today. Dad who instigated the whole thing thought it was a knee slapper and razzed my brother unmercifully. I, of course, became the leftwing radical I am today having learned a thing or two about political activism at my pappy's knee.

My brother claims he gave up on politics altogether.

I miss ya Dad...

:loveya:

So how did some of the rest of you awaken to your political voices?

[babylonsister]

1. Awww, that's so cute! If we all had such grand role models,

perhaps this country wouldn't be in the shape it's in now!

Disclaimer: I do not condone vandalism, blah blah blah

:D

[Generic Other]

2. Not vandalism. It was art: DA DA from my Daddy

My dad thought my brother, a well-known New England artist, would appreciate the artistic impulse, so the "vandalism" was seen as expression.

:rofl:

[Hamlette]

3. reminds me of our own vandalism that year

my Aunt Willa and us "kids" fashioned a podium with a big red heart on it that said "in your heart you know he's right" made a dummy of Goldwater and placed it behind the podium. We took it to my Aunt Max's house (we're all democrats in my family), we set up the display in her front yard on Halloween night (Aunt Max was gone, we somehow knew when she'd be home), we had flood lights and a recording of Goldwater giving a speech. We all hid and turned on the lights and speech on as she and her hubby returned home.

(The back story is the "sisters (my mom and aunts) had been playing this trick on Max since before I was born. She'd been living out of state for years and didn't expect it. I'll never forget. Of course my political awakening came many years earlier at age 6 when my aunts took me to the state democratic convention and I got so much free stuff (buttons, a donkey bank, bumperstickers) I thought it was great!)

[Generic Other]

6. Now that's what I call a real PAC

Glad to know I wasn't the only underage Democrat on the loose!

Thanks for sharing your memory of past campaigns.

[silverojo]

4. My story....

My family always was Democratic, but my real awakening was in the early 1980's, when Reagan started decimating America. I volunteered for Mondale/Ferraro in a heavily red state, and haven't looked back!

[Generic Other]

8. Go Mondale/Ferraro!

You were a warrior. Bloodied in the Reagan campaigns. Fighting the good fight back in the day when every Democrat was an underdog.

:patriot:

[nofurylike]

5. great story, GO, thank you for sharing it! sweet.... sniff sniff ..... eom

[Generic Other]

7. You already know my secrets, dearie!

I am remembering a night in your family wreckroom clustered around the mighty Wurlitzer singing "Happy Days are Here Again!" at the top of our lungs...me stuffed into a too-tight Davy Crockett buckskin suit.

:)

[nofurylike]

9. o my goddess, you made me cry! i remember!! thank you

so much!

i miss him too....

sigh


peace and love, my dear!