My scratched-up pink iPhone rang at 9:17pm last Thursday with a caller ID from Illinois — my home state. I answered it only to find out that the Obama Campaign HQ had asked me if I would be supporting President Obama this upcoming election. A few years ago, not only would I have been overjoyed to say “Yes, I am,” but I would’ve added that I wanted to try and help get more people to vote and would volunteer. In the past, liberalism wasn’t left leaning enough for me. I was a social justice kind of girl. I believed in saving the world one person at a time.
I can't bear those memories of my adolescent years.
I used to be a liberal. I was the stereotypical liberal that wanted to save the world. I was the liberal that wanted to end all the wars and get President Bush tried for his war crimes. The liberal that wanted the government to pay for my healthcare in the expenses of other; the liberal that thought the wealthiest 1% should redistribute their wealth to the 99%. I wanted to save the whales, the trees, the cats, the poor, the young, the oppressed, and the world; I wanted to save everything – just with the help of government.
I used to always raise my hand in class even when the teacher never asked for input. Since third grade, I would try to debate with my teachers (sometimes, rightfully so) about their little political persuasion in our lessons. My junior year of high school, I started a fundraiser by selling bracelets for the Haiti Earthquake victims. Where did the money come from? I forced my parents to buy them. Three years later, and I still owe them about $150. Still to this day, I start arguments on my Facebook status about current events and how just messed up America has become.
Back in the day, I was the editor for my high school newspaper. I spent my time writing op-eds on my statist perception of the government and the world. I thought Republicans were the devil, and the Democrats were the fairy godmother. I was in high school then – young, na
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