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Edited on Thu Sep-04-08 07:42 PM by louis c
First of all, I have been a Democrat all of my adult life. The political parties in this story are irrelevant to me. the subtle (or not so subtle) bigotry left a lasting impression on me, and my campaigning for Barack ever since Hillary dropped out has brought all these memories back.
I'm a 100% Italian American. Third generation, in fact. My parents have always lived in Massachusetts, and so have I. My dad was a blue collar Eisenhower, Saltanstal, Rockefeller kind of Republican. He became friendly with another little known liberal Republican, Ed Brooke. As a matter of fact, my late dad even christened one of Brooke's daughters when she converted to Catholicism to get married.
Anyway, when Brooke first run statewide, in 1960, he unsuccessfully attempted to win the secretary of state's position. But you can imagine the Kennedy landslide in Massachusetts that year. I was 8 years old, but I'll never forget my father's anger at Brooke's Democratic opponent, Kevin White, for his slogan that year. VOTE WHITE. So many of my father's not so friendly friends thought that was just so clever.
Later, in 1962, when Ed Brooke ran and won as Massachusetts' Attorney General, I remember how proud I was that my dad was on the right side of history.
In 1966, when Atty. Gen. Ed Brooke ran for the U.S. Senate, I remember my father waking me up on a Saturday morning (14 yrs. old at the time) to tell me to paint over our raised basement wall because someone had painted the words n***er lover on the wall. Needless to say, I worked my ass of after that, stuffing envelopes, delivering fliers and putting stickers on, because I had so much to prove. That victory was the most exciting election night of my life, (outside of my dad's council win 7 years later). Ed Brooke chose my father for one of his administrative assistants. They stayed close friends for the rest of my father's life. Sen. Brooke is still alive, God bless him.
My devotion to social justice was born of these experiences. My work as a union leader took root in those early days. I have been, and always will be, a Democrat.
However, bigotry knows no party, knows no religion, knows no nationality.
I have related this story to you, and every word of it is true, because this election has brought back to my mind my late father. I can appreciate his courage now, more that I ever could before.
I know he would be for Barack, after all, when he passed away in 1997, he died a democrat, because this is the party of social justice. but courageous fighters in this cause come from all political parties. I learned at an early age that great men (and women)come in all sizes, shapes and colors.
I'll continue working in New Hampshire for Obama, my closest swing state, and I hope we carry it, because dad, this one's for you.
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