DUers, At What Age Did You Become Politically Minded and Why?

[Yonnie3]

89. It is not like someone turned a switch and then I was.

I grew up watching the Colonial Williamsburg movie about the Revolution and the House of Burgess's meetings. It was free and air conditioned. Some political awareness was gained, I was maybe 6 to 10 years old. Politics were discussed at times at home between my mother and father. I listened and asked questions about contrary things I'd heard at school.

Around 7th or 8th grade in a Social Studies class we had to read and compare two candidates' platforms. I don't recall who they were, but it was interesting and I definitely could pick a candidate.

I watched as my mother became active in the Civil Rights Movement and the politics of the Baptist Church forced her elsewhere. The MLK assassination was around my 18th birthday and my mother talked of the enabling politicians being culpable. I listened and absorbed.

I then moved away and fell in with some people who were critical of the politics of the Vietnam War. I witnessed student protests in Mexico City in the late summer of 1968 with extremely violent police. A reaction to a push for reform and progressive policies. This was politics. I took notice.

I returned to the US and went to college. I became more political, nearly rabidly so, with an anti-establishment bent. We demonstrated and generally raised hell in DC. We didn't trust any politician to tell the truth.

Fast forward to the George McGovern campaign. I worked my tail off for him and was devastated at the loss.

and so on.

When did I become political? I don't know.

I am also wondering if you are really asking, when and why did I take an interest in government.