One of my grandpa’s clocks from his collection.
I still remember him saying on November 4, 1980 how he voted for Carter, because “He was a good man.” I know, I was in first grade, and how can I remember this? Well, because my grandparents were opinionated. I know, hard to believe. They would tell you how they felt about their last sh*t, the food they had for lunch and the color of the sky, and they would wrap it all in a joke and a few ‘choice’ words. You knew what they were thinking. All of the time, and if they didn’t want you to know they would say it in Czech, then hug you while laughing at you.
I often think about how I have followed politics, and it always brings me back to the kitchen breakfast nook at my grandparent’s house, they were never shy about their opinions. Especially politics.
My grandpa Carl liked Carter for obvious reasons, he loved the earth. My grandpa was a certified green thumb, who could make anything grow, trees were his passion, but he could make anything work from his 70’s Caddie to his International Scout, to his passion of clocks.
I think he would look at Noem as a ‘fake’ and I would love to hear what he thinks of her right now. It would be colorful.
Both governor candidates have shared ‘traditions’ and ‘values’ but I often wonder if they know WTF they are talking about? The South Dakota I grew up in cherished these things, and if you worked hard, you may not become rich, but you were always rewarded with good friends, good food and a sense you were loved and valued for your beliefs.
When you vote on Tuesday, think about what is most important to you, like ‘Good People’ who care about you, the earth and your family, and want a better life for us all. To this day, I still think my grandpa’s vote for Carter was the right thing to do. Because we don’t have to mention the other guy, who Noem has presented as her hero in the latest debate. A man who put us down a path of the rich stealing the middle class and destroying a country who was modeled after people like my grandpa Carl.
He would be truly disgusted.
Hard workers who believed in this Republic, to take care of us, when we can’t, to defend our right to our opinion, and when we take up arms it is for the defense of our ideals, not to simply cause bloodshed. As Americans, we are better than this. We defend the right of others, we love those who don’t agree, and we embrace diversity and ingenuity. We simply are the Greatest Country in the world, and we don’t need props to remind us just leaders to hold our hands.
We can go down the same old path folks, but we can’t accept those results.
Vote for what you believe, because if you do on Wednesday you will have nothing to feel guilty about.
