Rebuilding Rob

How have your political views changed over time?

Disclaimer: Here’s a topic I am truly passionate about: politics. Roughly half of you won’t agree with the way this one ends. You have been warned…

My political views have changed considerably over the course of my life; but not in the direction that most people would expect.

I was an 80’s Child

As a child of the 1980s, my favorite toy line was Gi Joe. Meanwhile in the real world, the Cold War was in full gear. Little did we realize at the time that the end was coming sooner than we expecting. While this was hallowing though, the arms race was on. And like a proverbial hormone-fueled teenager who thought he was big and determined to get bigger, A

I merica’s military continued to grow. To many Americans, Ronald Reagan was perceived as a symbol of America’s greatness. Although America’s military action was small compared to what we would see in the decades to come, Reagan was viewed as something of a Warhawk. He was an icon in the eyes of many. As a 10 year old kid, I ate that shit up without really understanding the real-world political and social consequences of it.

When I was in elementary school, we had these “Friday Folders” that went home every …Friday. They would contain any notes from the school and greased we assignments we got that week. As students, we were required to return these folders to school in the following Monday morning, along with a signature from our parent/guardians

Like our own personal flair in Office Space we weee encouraged, but. It required to decorate our Friday Folders while most kids folders had had drawn pictures of their favorite things- like sports, playing outside or even the favorite band logos – mine had “Nuke Moscow” emblazoned on one side; with the image of a mushroom cloud on the other. Yeah, I was brainwashed into the dogma of America’s Neo-Conservative movement. And I didn’t even know it.

I got better

As the 80s started to transition into the 1990s Things started to changed for me. Yes, my voice got deeper. I grew fast enough that I became clumsy in my own body. I stated growing hair in strange places and developing all kinds of funky teenager smells.

But also like so many other adolescents, my view of the world started to change. I started to question things I saw in the world. More so, I started realizing that the world wasn’t exactly the way that my parents and my school teachers had told me it was. Thinking more critically. I started listening to a deeper meaning, and some of my favorite song lyrics. I started reaching back in the music of the past, and understanding some of the social and political issues that the generations before me faced.

But probably most important of all, I realized that not everybody in the world looked, thought and acted the way I did. I started to develop empathy, sympathy, and compassion for people who I would never meet, and had nothing in common with me. I had come to the realization that I while my own prosperity would be great, it would be even better to see society collectively prosper.

By the time I was old enough to legally vote, and my first election, my political views were permanently set in stone. To this day, I’ve never voted for a single Republican candidate. As far as presidential elections are concerned, only one candidate I’ve ever voted for both the popular vote, and the election itself.

“He’ll grow out of it”

Growing up in a family that was almost exclusively, conservative, or at least one that contained a few liberals who were too shy to speak. Their voice, I was thinking of a black sheep. Throughout my college years, I would always hear from my cousins and particular things like “you’ll be Republican when he turn 30” or “you’ll grow out of it”.

Here’s the thing: I never “grew out of it”. There’s a belief in our country, a lot of people hold it anyway, that when you’re young, you’re liberal; and then, as you get older, you become more conservative. I’m sure a lot of people think I got my polarities reversed somewhere along the way.

I’m 49 years old, and my political views are no different now than they were on the day. I turned 18. I’m more dedicated and more passionate to my political views than I’ve ever ever been in my life.

This post barely scratches the surface on my political views; I think you get the idea. You know our stand now. I’m sure I’ll have more to say about it. I’m sure some of you will probably crucify me for it, but there it is.

How have your political views changed over time?

Thanks for stopping by Rebuilding Rob. Be sure to like, comment and subscribe to my blog below. It’s greatly appreciated! Also, feel free to follow me on social media as well! Check out my most recent posts as well as some earlier, related posts…

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The article “Confessions of a Southpaw” first appeared in Rebuilding Rob