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Ms. Toad

(38,667 posts)

21. I was born awake, as far as I know, and never went to sleep.

Reply to EricaGriswoldAuthor (Original post)

Mon Oct 14, 2019, 09:09 PM

Oct 2019

I was conceived while my parents were waiting to be sent to the middle East (alternative service for my father), but the site he was to be sent to was bombed, so they were sent to Mexico, which returned them to the US when the powers that be in Mexico returned them home to the US, where my father spent the first two years of my life (the remainder of his CO service) as a draft counselor for a peace and social justice group.

I went to my first politial march when I was 7 (at least if there were earlier ones my parents haven't informed me). I was part of the only non-white family in our community (by adoption of my siblings) starting at age 4, and witnessed blatant discrimination against a black girl who lived with us for a couple of weeks when I was 10 or 11 - when we took her to the swimming pool.

My first independent political action (civil disobedience as a reaction to discrimination) was at age 11.

Haven't stopped since then.

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when did your political awakening happen? [View all] EricaGriswoldAuthor Oct 2019 OP

Bobby Kennedy's assassination uppityperson Oct 2019 #1

Mine too. I was 16 then. ProudMNDemocrat Oct 2019 #103

i graduated from high school on the NIGHT Bobby Kennedy was killed trueblue2007 Oct 2019 #156

+1. lastlib Oct 2019 #112

Reagan's election LeftInTX Oct 2019 #2

Same here Sherman A1 Oct 2019 #14

Me too! Meadowoak Oct 2019 #81

Moi aussi! Mme. Defarge Oct 2019 #47

my mom and grandma told me EricaGriswoldAuthor Oct 2019 #69

Me too - when I saw Reagan during the debates. Marie Marie Oct 2019 #61

condescending bastard. I hated him after that nt yellowdogintexas Oct 2019 #120

Reagan's inauguration for me stopwastingmymoney Oct 2019 #89

Yup. How that was so orchestrated. LiberalLovinLug Oct 2019 #152

Me too! Dustlawyer Oct 2019 #111

The Iran-Contra hearings shenmue Oct 2019 #3

Nixon. TreasonousBastard Oct 2019 #4

Yup. 17 I was. benld74 Oct 2019 #39

Nixon's the One lapfog_1 Oct 2019 #87

+++++++++++ HAB911 Oct 2019 #108

70 - 71. Just because I got out of my small town bubble and bothered to see other viewpoints. dameatball Oct 2019 #5

I went to NM's Boys State Turin_C3PO Oct 2019 #6

Sep 11. pnwest Oct 2019 #7

Most people flocked to Bush on 9/11 Polybius Oct 2019 #98

2000 Ahpook Oct 2019 #8

Me too... even though my parents were quite liberal Upthevibe Oct 2019 #83

The Iraq war is what did it for me. However my grandma was a poll worker every election Luciferous Oct 2019 #9

Nixon's re-election tnlurker Oct 2019 #10

I don't remember exactly when I began to notice politics leftieNanner Oct 2019 #11

After I voted for that lying pos Reagan. nt doc03 Oct 2019 #12

The Gulf War, I was 13 and fell in love with politics. And dewsgirl Oct 2019 #13

JFK assassination lordsummerisle Oct 2019 #15

I can only imagine Ahpook Oct 2019 #19

My earliest recollection of TV was Kennedy funeral liberal N proud Oct 2019 #28

I paid attention but not too much until 911 rainy Oct 2019 #16

Always into politics MaryMagdaline Oct 2019 #17

Kennedy assasination began the process zeusdogmom Oct 2019 #18

I'm old--JFK's campaign grabbed my attention. JohnnyLib2 Oct 2019 #20

me, too alterfurz Oct 2019 #115

I was born awake, as far as I know, and never went to sleep. Ms. Toad Oct 2019 #21

after the evangicals didn't show up for bob dole back in th 90's SterlingPound Oct 2019 #22

When Bush was lying his way into Iraq JonLP24 Oct 2019 #23

During the 92 Presidential Campaign... NewDayOranges Oct 2019 #24

My mother worked campaigns, even managed a state senators campaign liberal N proud Oct 2019 #25

Anita Bryant Skittles Oct 2019 #26

She went to my HS and played Nelly when we put on South Pacific in 55-56 bobbieinok Oct 2019 #71

Somewhere around my senior year in high school. llmart Oct 2019 #27

I was born this way. Hugin Oct 2019 #29

same here (see my post below) nt yellowdogintexas Oct 2019 #121

Jack, Bobby and Vietnam were probably 3 of the Golden Raisin Oct 2019 #30

we must be about the same age. yellowdogintexas Oct 2019 #122

Summer 1968, watching the conventions with an older friend. House of Roberts Oct 2019 #31

me too not_the_one Oct 2019 #144

Around 2004 sakabatou Oct 2019 #32

2000 when the supreme court appointed bush kimbutgar Oct 2019 #33

Born to it. The_jackalope Oct 2019 #34

My Dad was a committeeman for our ward. He would pay me livetohike Oct 2019 #35

My parents always voted and so I did too. BlueTsunami2018 Oct 2019 #36

from Eisenhower's 1956 election (I recall family sad about losing Stevenson,) elleng Oct 2019 #37

In the fifth grade... The Figment Oct 2019 #38

I went to CU, too! Raftergirl Oct 2019 #43

Loved Boulder The Figment Oct 2019 #51

Things change Raftergirl Oct 2019 #57

No The Figment Oct 2019 #58

Not surprising Raftergirl Oct 2019 #66

Friend went to teach German there in 60s right out of grad school. bobbieinok Oct 2019 #73

Early 1960's Raftergirl Oct 2019 #40

Greenpeace WVGal1963 Oct 2019 #41

My grandma was a hardcore liberal .my family I_UndergroundPanther Oct 2019 #143

May 4, 1970 CanonRay Oct 2019 #42

I always voted, but my real awakening was Shock and Awe. Crunchy Frog Oct 2019 #44

Really early. 2naSalit Oct 2019 #45

1994, with the Contract ON America. NT Bleacher Creature Oct 2019 #46

summer of '68.. dixiegrrrrl Oct 2019 #48

Voted for Nixon in my first election.. Permanut Oct 2019 #49

Carter-Ford, at the ripe old age of 7. TwilightZone Oct 2019 #50

Kent State 1970 couple weeks before my high school graduation. IADEMO2004 Oct 2019 #52

Kent state Ferryboat Oct 2019 #145

My first real political memory was the election of 1972 - I was just blown away by Shirley Chisholm! FM123 Oct 2019 #53

1992 - Clinton vs. Bush scrabblequeen40 Oct 2019 #54

Watergate, the fall of South Vietnam and Jonestown . . . hatrack Oct 2019 #55

Jimmy Carter, first vote Baked Potato Oct 2019 #56

When the Smarra Mosque bomb went off... Volaris Oct 2019 #59

April 30, 1970. WhiteTara Oct 2019 #60

Probably when I smoked my first joint. Fall, '68 WheelWalker Oct 2019 #62

2000 election showed me what ruthless, power hungry mad men conservatives were. Initech Oct 2019 #63

Little by little. smirkymonkey Oct 2019 #64

I Was Thinking RobinA Oct 2019 #65

Mostly JFK election. Lots of dem college friends. And I WAS'NT 21 and COULDN'T VOTE-- bobbieinok Oct 2019 #67

here was mine EricaGriswoldAuthor Oct 2019 #68

Realizing the people who hated me for being gay had a name: Republicans. NCLefty Oct 2019 #70

When I maxxed @80K in college loan debt and some a**hole tried to blame it on me Bonx Oct 2019 #72

Bork nomination. At least, my first letters to my senators to vote NO. question everything Oct 2019 #74

Taking political science oswaldactedalone Oct 2019 #75

My family always voted (and voted Dem) TDale313 Oct 2019 #76

Working on RFK's Nebraska Primary. Sneederbunk Oct 2019 #77

I finally became a hardcore democrat over health care policy ooky Oct 2019 #78

My dad was a political junkie. He came from a political family. Stories applegrove Oct 2019 #79

That's quite a story!!! LeftInTX Oct 2019 #93

1976. I was 9. GaYellowDawg Oct 2019 #80

'68. Martin, Bobby, the whole dreadful year. nolabear Oct 2019 #82

Randomly happened upon Fox News in my college dorm ecstatic Oct 2019 #84

Second grade. 1952. I remember reading about the candidates in Parade magazine. hedda_foil Oct 2019 #85

Can you imagine what Ike would be saying about current events? yellowdogintexas Oct 2019 #124

Everett Dirksen Iterate Oct 2019 #159

2000 for me is when I really woke up. SlogginThroughIt Oct 2019 #86

Our last honorable Republican president... Binkie The Clown Oct 2019 #88

I was a child under Reagan. herding cats Oct 2019 #90

1963 - When George Wallace closed my school ThoughtCriminal Oct 2019 #91

The Vietnam war Cartoonist Oct 2019 #92

1982. Ohio State Senate Dirty Socialist Oct 2019 #94

5th grade, history teacher ms. Miller, then social studies ms. Brown during Iran hostage crisis onetexan Oct 2019 #95

Parents always voted but weren't "political." I got into it my first year of college & by the time Hekate Oct 2019 #96

1996 was my first election and I voted for Dole Polybius Oct 2019 #97

JFK's winning the nomination at the 1960 Democratic Convention in Los Angeles... VOX Oct 2019 #99

high school handmade34 Oct 2019 #100

1967 and anti-Vietnam war vlyons Oct 2019 #101

Bush v Gore brucefan Oct 2019 #102

Between age three and four malaise Oct 2019 #104

1960 Kennedy vs Nixon wnylib Oct 2019 #105

I forgot about the McCarthy hearings!! yellowdogintexas Oct 2019 #125

McCarthy hearings wnylib Oct 2019 #157

i was always reading the paper. we had a good lefty editorial cartoonist. then i discovered c-span pansypoo53219 Oct 2019 #106

Baby I was born this way Sedona Oct 2019 #107

I always voted, and was alway aware (Watergate, Iran-Contra), but phylny Oct 2019 #109

I've always been aware of what was going on, even at a young age. Vinca Oct 2019 #110

I was at Boy Scout camp in August of '74. bluedigger Oct 2019 #113

Weeks after Sept 11th, 2001 JesterCS Oct 2019 #114

1968 treestar Oct 2019 #116

Clear Memory ConstanceCee Oct 2019 #117

Politics and atheism came together for me at about 12 LakeArenal Oct 2019 #118

born into it. Fully indoctrinated by age 8 yellowdogintexas Oct 2019 #119

The summer of 1968 ChazInAz Oct 2019 #123

Regan cheese growing up Appalachian TEB Oct 2019 #126

Ann Richards had an impact on me in middle school Mersky Oct 2019 #127

Election 2000 mainstreetonce Oct 2019 #128

1980 election when I was 10. At first I thought Reagan muntrv Oct 2019 #129

The 2000 Presidential Primaries. Act_of_Reparation Oct 2019 #130

Spring 1954 - Army McCarthy Hearings. RichardRay Oct 2019 #131

Actively? When I realized the right was deploying Scaife strategy to nullify Bill Clinton Grasswire2 Oct 2019 #132

I grew up mostly with my grandmother Bettie Oct 2019 #133

Probably not long after I started reading MAD Magazine as a kid. MineralMan Oct 2019 #134

9/11 VWolf Oct 2019 #135

In 1952 I was 8 years old, and frogmarch Oct 2019 #136

My dad was union. murielm99 Oct 2019 #137

1986 ! stonecutter357 Oct 2019 #138

Grew up in a left wing household I_UndergroundPanther Oct 2019 #139

Assembly of God church Turin_C3PO Oct 2019 #148

Me too. I_UndergroundPanther Oct 2019 #158

I was always aware, hermetic Oct 2019 #140

GWB JeaneRaye Oct 2019 #141

This message was self-deleted by its author elocs Oct 2019 #142

Summer of 1968. SeattleVet Oct 2019 #146

I was 4, with help wrote LBJ "Please stop the Vietnam War" MasonDreams Oct 2019 #147

Unfortunately I was politically wake for the wrong side from my Jr High years. GulfCoast66 Oct 2019 #149

I first became interested in politics during the Watergate impeachment trial. Nitram Oct 2019 #150

As a kid, I was inspired by... polichick Oct 2019 #151

There was no escaping politics in my childhood. hunter Oct 2019 #153

1964: Johnson v Goldwater The Blue Flower Oct 2019 #154

60s/Vietnam/Cold War moondust Oct 2019 #155

1973, with the growing scandal named Watergate. I was 12 and what was happening madinmaryland Oct 2019 #160

To genx, millenials, etc wnylib Oct 2019 #161

Reading the Kerner Commission report central scrutinizer Oct 2019 #162

Geraldine Ferraro's VP nomination in 1984 nt SaulofTucson Oct 2019 #163