Growing into Politics

 

Children are naturally conservative.  They know the difference between right and wrong, they understand the consequences of not following rules, and see the world in black and white.  As they grow, they are exposed to different views and tricky issues.  Often they go off to university and come back with crazy ideas.  No, they are just growing up.

The first issue that made me pause and reflect, was that of women's rights. Why should my future be restricted to being a wife and mother?  And why should I always be the second choice for leadership opportunities? Others might find their own moments when they dare to question the beliefs of their parents.

My mother, brought up in a conservative Christian home, was faced with several 'moments' which necessitated some rethinking of her childhood beliefs.  It wasn't until BREXIT that she got involved in politics.  Her life experience taught her that we should never move backwards, and gave the Liberals her vote.

Just as some of us find reason to question our allegiances, others see the importance of standing firm, clinging on to their beliefs as if the world depended on their steadfastness.  As the world becomes increasingly connected, this single-mindedness requires us to build walls, dig in, and live within our own little worlds.  This is what produces isolationism and popular nationalism.

A true democracy is much more difficult to achieve.  That is why most nations began with a monarchy or dictatorship.  It takes work and education to become a group of people who can govern themselves. We must not only respect the other members of the group, but teach our children to respect those who are different as well. 

Some of these lessons come within life experiences: a realization that we are destroying the earth for our children; a loved one is denied medial attention due to lack of health insurance; a local paper starts to publish inflammatory and divisive literature; violence is preached from the pulpit; a neighbor or coworker uses the 'n' word; your child is pulled in for questioning by immigration control.  

Three Takeaways:

1. You are never too old, or too young, to have a change of heart.
2. You are not any better than your neighbor, no matter what campaign sign he posts in his yard.
3. Growing old gracefully means allowing for honest reflection and tolerance.