What Amiya sees in the papers, the magazines and on TV is slick and orchestrated - massive crowds at speeches, nice suits, etc. I wanted her to see the ground level work that has to be done - and she did. The office was energized chaos, not neat and orderly, but flowing nonetheless. She saw the phone bank room, the computer room, the data room, etc. I'm not sure that she got all out of it that I had intended, but I know that she at least sees that it is every day people working together for this, not only suits and soundbytes.
What was interesting to me was that when we got back in the car I was perseverating a bit on the fact that there were all different shades of people working together. She finally said to me, "Why do you keep talking about it?" Silly me. I love that she's growing up in a culture that doesn't think it's such a big deal for all sorts of folks to be working together. As much as I have been down on Florida lately, it does have diversity going for it and the benefits to our family were abundantly clear this evening.
We have tried to keep the political discussion fair and balanced (that makes me sound like Wolf Blitzer). It may turn out that Amiya or Kev will vote differently. It is certainly the case that many of our friends down here will vote McCain and we do not want to judge that choice or have our daughter judge that choice when she's too young to make that call on her own. So, instead we talk about health care, taxes, and the war in Iraq. We don't demonize McCain's ideas and we don't idealize Obama's, but Amiya has decided that she is more in favor of Obama winning. She'll go to the polls with us and be a part of the process just as she has done for every election since she's been two. I hope she will always be active and interested in the process.
Amiya, Kev, Barack, Freddy (holding Dogga), Benjamin
We gave a small donation and Amiya got to pick out some buttons and I got to pick a yard sign. That's right Dad, there's a button coming in the mail for you - her doing, I swear!
4 comments:
Barack the Vote!
It must be so hard to know your state votes mostly the opposite way from you. It would be like being a Republican here in Mass :)
Alveda, you'd scoop up my daughter and kiss her if you could! Every single time we go buy an Obama sign or car w/a sticker she yells, "Lovin' it!" and rolls down her window to yell and give the thumbs up!
Marlene - There is hope for Florida still. The I-4 corridor is a bit hairy and it's where we live, but going to the campaign office felt SO good. Lots of upbeat, smiling, happy folks working for change. Love it!!! I feel much better about living here than I have since coming back from Seattle!
D'oh! That should be "by an Obama sign" not "buy an Obama sign."
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