Why...a democrat?

In these turbulent times you might wonder why I’m spending my time and energy searching for Democrats, planning events and then getting them all out to vote. These District 6 pages on the Democratic Party website are my newest tool.

Let’s start with me explaining “why” I’m doing it all:

My first three years of teaching in a very poor neighborhood on the west side of Chicago was at Samuel Morse Elementary School. Politics was the furthest thing from my mind.  It took so much energy and planning and food prep just to survive. Yes, food prep!

Students came to school hungry every day.  If fed them egg salad on crackers, peanut butter, cheese and whatever fruit I could get.  The stories I could tell… The day I became a democrat was the day President Ronald Reagan announced catsup was a vegetable and that catsup would suffice for students in the free lunch program.

That day politics became real for me.

That is the “why” in my story. I’ve mostly worked for Democratic candidates over the years.  I’ve been elected for nonpartisan local offices a number of times.  I  joined McHenry County Democrats a number of years back when I finally attended a few meetings. I felt an energy and caring and determination gathering. I ran for County Board in D6 and lost the same day Trump was elected.

Disgusted and yet determined Ruth Scifo and I organized a bus to go to the Women’s March in Washington DC. And “politics” became something even more. We felt the power marching with over a million others and realized that “we” can determine our future if we are smart.

We have six month until Nov.3^rd. Let’s see how many Dems we can find and engage. Let’s focus on those really important issues and let’s get new voters registered and all out to vote Nov. 3^rd. (Hopefully mail in ballots will be available for all.)

Let’s use this space to draw in democrats and maybe a few new voters into our County party. Let’s start with your story. When did you realize you were a democrat? Would you share it with us?