I’m Famous!
If you are here looking for another funny story about my adorable Associates and poop, sorry to disappoint. This post represents a bit of a regression in my recovery as a former Political Operative (sounds so mysterious and important, right?!?). In the days after Obergefell v. Hodges I fell off the wagon. I have read more news than I have in 2.5 years… since the day Associate A was born to be exact.
My former self, Campaign Kathryn, is fired up. It is my job as EVPHO to keep her in line. But lately I can’t stop thinking about the issues, the politics, the future of our country. I’ve lost sleep and scared the CEO with ideas of getting involved with a race in 2016.
I have been interested in the overall reaction to Obergefell, but was specifically looking for the responses of leaders of my party…. the Republican Party. Polling clearly indicates that the American public has moved to agree with Marriage Equality, and I was looking for any glimmer of hope that a leader would emerge to help move our Party away from arguing semantics and fear.
I didn’t expect an about face, but I did hope there would be one or two brave leaders able to recognize this was a civil rights issue, firmly rooted in the 14th Amendment, and to speak up and address the fears of Christian conservatives who worried this would affect their church and faith. (It doesn’t affect the vows you made in your church before your God one bit. Your Christian pastor will still have no legal obligation to marry two Buddhists, two Hindus, or two women. The decision doesn’t affect your tax break, your right to visit your spouse in the hospital, or your right to be listed on their death certificate. But our government will no longer deny those rights to your fellow Americans.) We have so many who claim to love the constitution, would they be able to recognize this as consistent with the ideals laid out there within?
Anyway, seeing the lack of leadership, my mind then turned to the thousands of hard workings young professionals who work for our leaders. They do everything from answering the mail to writing talking points. They research issues and help craft the message. They set the meetings and the agendas, and then they do the work to follow through on what was decided. And for many young professionals, they develop trusted relationships with the Members they serve. Their opinion is valued and their advice heeded.
So as my mind raced, I wrote a letter hoping to inspire even one young GOP staffer. A former colleague at Famous DC blog agreed to run my letter, and there you have it. I’m on FamousDC.
I put my money where my mouth was, of course, and reached out to my former boss and had a conversation about how he will respond to this issue. I hope my letter will encourage others to do the same.
Call me an idealist, but I agree with Voctor Hugo,
Nothing is as powerful as an idea whose time has come.
*** For those of you who knew me in my grunge phase in Junior High, and don’t think I am a Millennial, may I just point out that I was born less than 30 minutes before MTV went on the air at 12:00am Aug 1st 1981. I’ve never known a world without MTV and Apple computers = Millennial. ***
EVPHO 