I grew up with John F. Kennedy. Well, not exactly—Kennedy was assassinated a few years before my parents were even born. So, a more accurate statement is that I grew up with my grandfather’s vivid memories of Kennedy and his political career: specific lines from one of Kennedy’s speeches, or even a photo of my grandfather as a teenager in the front row of a Kennedy campaign rally. Politics was an integral part of my childhood—involuntarily—and it is now a crucial part of my identity.
I always receive the same retort after telling adults I love politics: “so what are your views?” or “where do you stand on the President’s latest decision?” I respond indirectly, albeit sincerely: it is not always the politics of politics that intrigues me, but rather the passion of politics. Logically, the adult then acts like I am just a naïve kid with no idea what politics involves. I may not know as much about the …show more content…
I am the kid that likes to read nonfiction—my favorite book is Al Franken’s insightful memoir, Al Franken: Giant of the Senate. I am proud to say I have spent some late nights intently reading Profiles in Courage or The Prince. I have made my brother stop playing the latest NBA video game several times, strictly so I can watch an important Senate vote on education or health care reform. When I saw on Twitter that Senator Chris Murphy would speak, on the Senate floor, for as long as he could or until Congress acted on gun control legislation, I was simply enthralled—I could not stop watching. My friends and family said watching the seemingly endless speech on C-SPAN 2 was “pointless” and I was “wasting my time.” They did not recognize that my viewing of the filibuster was the polar opposite of their ideas—not futile, but fruitful; not trivial, but transformative. The passion involved with reading and watching TV is not nearly enough—I wanted to be a more informed and active young political
I always receive the same retort after telling adults I love politics: “so what are your views?” or “where do you stand on the President’s latest decision?” I respond indirectly, albeit sincerely: it is not always the politics of politics that intrigues me, but rather the passion of politics. Logically, the adult then acts like I am just a naïve kid with no idea what politics involves. I may not know as much about the …show more content…
I am the kid that likes to read nonfiction—my favorite book is Al Franken’s insightful memoir, Al Franken: Giant of the Senate. I am proud to say I have spent some late nights intently reading Profiles in Courage or The Prince. I have made my brother stop playing the latest NBA video game several times, strictly so I can watch an important Senate vote on education or health care reform. When I saw on Twitter that Senator Chris Murphy would speak, on the Senate floor, for as long as he could or until Congress acted on gun control legislation, I was simply enthralled—I could not stop watching. My friends and family said watching the seemingly endless speech on C-SPAN 2 was “pointless” and I was “wasting my time.” They did not recognize that my viewing of the filibuster was the polar opposite of their ideas—not futile, but fruitful; not trivial, but transformative. The passion involved with reading and watching TV is not nearly enough—I wanted to be a more informed and active young political