political science

The summer between my junior and senior years of high school I attended Girls' State. It's a leadership and citizenship program for high school students and in the course of a week on the Southern Utah University campus we set up mock city, county and state government. I throughly enjoyed it and gained a real appreciation for the democratic process of electing representatives and leaders. I better understood my civic duties and rights as a citizen and ever since I have been kind of nerdy in love with America (but I will never like that 'God Bless the USA' song or Kristy Lee Cook for singing it).

So some months ago I really appreciated Megan's coming out politically post. You see, I voted for George W. Bush the first time around. A few years later I listened to Colin Powell present to the UN the reasons we needed to invade Iraq and I agreed based on that information. Days later I was off to Armenia and heard bits here and there but was largely unconcerned and uninformed about American politics beyond knowing some version of a war had begun. A year and a half and I found myself home in Utah a mere three months before the 2004 elections. And what a mess that was. Maybe those reasons for declaring war weren't completely complete? Colin Powell was resigning? John Kerry was the Democratic candidate? God was owned by one political party? All of these things were surprising to me. A few heated discussions with my father later, a lot of discussing with other people and a bunch of informing myself led me to not vote for President Bush again. Who knew?!

I was 18 the first time I voted and 22 the second time. I made political choices at those ages based on what I felt were the best decisions. This exciting election year I am 26. I understand more about economic issues cus guys, I'm totally an adult. I care about tax changes and I do think we need a more socialized healthcare system. I wonder about the future of social security. I think the gas tax holiday is a bad idea and I am really interested in energy proposals that require utility companies to use a percentage of renewable sources. I think we need to get out of Iraq. I don't think Jesus is a Republican or a Democrat because remember how he's perfect?

I know the President doesn't magically solve problems, I know often he or she has little control even and I totally know my little vote is lost. But I believe in democracy so I think it's important that I do my part to be informed and vote for what I believe in just because I love America. I think on either side of a political line and everywhere in between people mostly just want to live their lives and want kids to get nice educations and sick people to get care and terrorists to stop being a-holes. The means to those ends might be different but that's okay.

I was never on board with any Republican candidates, so the past five months have been intense. I thought Hillary was pretty alright and in the words of Tina Fey, bitches get things done, so I think she could have made it. But last night when I heard Barrack Obama is for real the Democratic candidate I felt a sense of excitement for this game to be on.

Teenagers may look way hotter than me in swimsuits this summer, but come fall I'm totally pumped up to be the one who gets to vote! Snap!