I now know what it’s like, in a relatively small way, to be
a candidate for office. I was in last
place in the recent Special Election for GA House District 176 with 144
votes. Bad: last place.
Good: 144 people voted for ME! My
expectation was never to win, so I’m not disappointed. Not happy that another person calling herself
a Democrat got more votes than me, but not surprised that two Republicans now
face a runoff. This part of Georgia is and
has been solidly red for a long time. As
Stacey Abrams said in 2013(above picture, in Jesup, GA) we must stand up and
speak out! The future is looking brighter,
and I am proud to have been a small part of the effort.
What’s it like being a candidate? I only did it in my spare time, but an upcoming
election is like being in a bubble all the time. A moving bubble. Attending meetings, making phone calls and
canvassing. No matter where you are, you
are always on stage, whether it’s your Facebook presence or going the grocery
store. Again, I did it in a small way,
but I think of others like Stacey Abrams, Lisa Ring and AOC who have put their
hearts, souls and bodies into what they believe in. What a monumental sacrifice of self! They are examples of three of the current
group of powerful women who are changing the country. Also examples of the potential of politics in
the name of positive change as opposed to Republican self-serving greed for
both money and power.
What’s it like being a Democratic candidate on
Facebook? It’s being on the receiving
end of massive amounts of hate. I knew
it was out there, but generally it wasn’t directed towards me. This time it was—even though the haters had
never met me and knew nothing about me.
Other than that I am a Democrat. I
can’t even imagine what it is like to be AOC and a self-identified Democratic
Socialist. Personally, being called a “baby-killer”
and “Communist Muslim” doesn’t hurt; being told to “leave the state” (or the
country) or to “drop dead” is meaningless.
I quickly deleted all the obscenities (there were quite a few). It’s never been about me; I know who I
am. Those who know me also know who I
am.
This should make us all aware of what we’re up against. A society that has allowed hate speech to
blossom and facts to die on the vine.
When the “leader of the free world” can freely lie and be applauded,
where our respected news outlets are called “fake news” anything goes! Our new House of Representatives is the light
IN (not at the end of) the tunnel allowing us to see the path ahead.
To “my 144” (and the others who would have voted for me if
they were in my District) I applaud your support and courage! This is just the beginning!
No comments:
Post a Comment