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Tales from the Trail
72 doors knocked today. It's funny how your mind focuses more strongly when you're fasting. Ordinarily I'd be thinking about an ice cold bottle of my favorite #Mexicoke, but instead, I just listened.
72 doors knocked today. It's funny how your mind focuses more strongly when you're fasting. Ordinarily I'd be thinking about an ice cold bottle of my favorite #Mexicoke, but instead, I just listened.
One woman told me about a hospital that couldn't take a metal shard out of her son's eye. Too fast development: they cut corners building the hospital and now she felt the services she needed weren't necessarily available.
Another woman told me she was scared of what could happen to her grandson, a visible Sikh who wore a turban to school. She spoke in Punjabi, her voice heavy with emotion, "We have to hide ourselves, who will make us feel comfortable and safe?"
Another woman told me simply, "You had me at immigration lawyer. Thank you for the work that you do."
One man told his son to come down to meet me. A teenager, he pored over all the local candidate profiles and would tell his parents who they should vote for.
He liked that I was not eager to share our fundraising numbers, because it shows the problem of money in politics.
He liked that I was not eager to share our fundraising numbers, because it shows the problem of money in politics.
Many people told me the absolute horror of seeing what has become of our country: one woman just said she wanted to see our government work again.
We can't restrict access to healthcare...but it was her statement about hungry kids that hit me hard.
We can't restrict access to healthcare...but it was her statement about hungry kids that hit me hard.
It was about a lunch lady who was fired by the corporate overlords contracted to feed kids. Her violation? Not giving the cheaper entree to a hungry kid who had lunch a la carte. $10 in the hole. She was reinstated, but the system allowed her to be fired. That's a problem.
I felt my own hunger and thirst, forcing me to remember those less fortunate who wouldn't be able to drink water even after the sun went down. It's always been that way.
But hearing people's concerns when you're fasting amplifies empathy.
But hearing people's concerns when you're fasting amplifies empathy.
I guess I realized today how much compassion is lacking in our legal system.
We need to find ways to bring it back. It needs to be a part of our legislative process.
For compassion is strength. It's our lack of civic engagement that's allowed cruelty to persist.
We need to find ways to bring it back. It needs to be a part of our legislative process.
For compassion is strength. It's our lack of civic engagement that's allowed cruelty to persist.
I heard today that the #BlueWave2020 will need to be a lot bigger. That means we all need to get off the sidelines.
We still have a system we can use. Many countries don't. Use it. Or be complicit in cruelty.
Use your voice and your vote for someone who doesn't have one.
We still have a system we can use. Many countries don't. Use it. Or be complicit in cruelty.
Use your voice and your vote for someone who doesn't have one.
