Reply #47: A Gen-exer's Story and Confession [View All]

Allow me to offer my story and dispute the fact most Gen-Xers went for Bush. My first vote at 18 was for Reagan's re-election and straight ticket Republican as well as being conservative on most issues. While it's a time in my life I'm not fond of (feels good to confess my sins publicly though), as has been stated here, alot of it had to do with the times and what the 80's represented. Even today in some ways, I still feel Reagan was the best CANIDATE for the times, though now I can see how destructive some of his policies really were and I could never entertain the notion of voting for him in today's climate (even though we have his protogee times-ten in office).

While growing up in a largely Democract Philly and to pretty-much liberal parents, alot of my views were influenced by my future in-laws whose family I felt closer to at the time than my own. Even in retrospect it amazes me that my father-in-law still thinks Republican despite the fact he has almost always been dirt-poor and would still today vote for canidates against his own interest.

Though I can't put the exact moment, somewhere my views changed. Maybe it was the responsiblity of starting a family, moving to a state that hated and exploited working class people more, my growing freethinking beliefs on religion while the right embraced fundalmentalism more and more or just opening my mind and willing to think for myself. While for the longest times I abhorred politics and became an apathy "non-voter" (I didn't vote at all during Daddy Bush or Clinton's time), as these growing Left ideas took hold and seeing the way things were going I decieded I had to do something.

My first vote was unsuccesfully trying to prevent King George's bone-head brother from lording over this state and after seeing the results I knew there was no way in hell I would support the King himself winning in 2000. At the time I admitt, while most of my support was for Democrates since they were closest to my views, I still voted by the canidates rather then the party. Time for more confession...yes, I voted for that bitch Katherine Harris who I thought was the right canidate at the time and I guess you could say I might indirectly bear responsibility for Bush's win as a result. But the result of that election and seeing the last four years and fearing the next, my feelings have again changed.

Though I still choose not register to a party affiliation, this election past and future ones, I will always vote against every Republican canidate regardless of who the Democrat opponent is. While I can no longer agree or even at times tolerate right-wingers, a small part of me and my now open-minded ability can at least try to respect their views knowing that I once thought like them.

I think I also am an example against the view that all people are liberal in their youth and later become more conservative not the other way around. I know several twenty-something Generation Y's today who are also ignorantly Republican. Despite much right-wing vilifying of the "L word", this is one Gen-exer who is proud to now call himself a Liberal, a Red state Blue voter and washed of the sins and ignorance of the past.
I am happy that of all my views and memories that formed during those zeitgeist years, conservatism is the one I have left behind.