Thread by @RealSteveCox

Lengthy but valuable thread on politics as it should be:

I’m an introvert, so one would correctly assume that politics can be difficult for me. But it gets easier, and as I’ve learned, I’ve gotten better at it, too.
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But there are things about politics, especially as an independent, that I approach much differently than run-of-the-mill politicians. The following is an example of such a thing:
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I was canvassing the district yesterday and ran into a couple working in their garage. They’re Filipino immigrants, US Citizens, Republican, parents of two adult children, and devout Christians who attend a right-wing church. And they’re good people.
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They only talked to me because I’m not a Democrat.
During the lengthy conversation, we developed a strong rapport, and then the dad brought up Sex Ed and asked what I thought about teaching children about homosexuality, transgender, etc.
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Most politicians would insert a platitude and try and exit the conversation on a positive note. But I’m not most politicians.

I saw this as a potential teachable moment and believed I’d be derelict in my duties to just let it pass.
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Me: “More than a half-century ago, a scientist created a thing called the Kinsey Scale that he believed described sexuality on a spectrum from 1 to 6; 1 being completely heterosexual, and 6 being completely homosexual...”
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Me (continued): “I’m a 1, which means it has never occurred to me to be attracted to another man. So, if I were taught about homosexuality in school, I *know* it couldn’t have made me any more or less homosexual...”
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Me (continued): “I don’t believe teaching children about homosexuality can *make* any of them into homosexuals.”
Them: “It’s interesting you bring that up. Our son is a homosexual and he’s having a very hard time with it. He says he doesn’t want to be a homosexual.”
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Me: (Realizing their son is saying this because he’s trying to please his parents) “But it’s not up to him to decide something like that, just as I didn’t decide to be heterosexual.”
Them: “It’s really just the act we don’t accept. And we told him we won’t accept it.”
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Me: “Last Thursday, on Thanksgiving, my wife and I went to her uncle’s house. He and his husband host Thanksgiving every year. They’re affluent, successful men. And as gay men, they have a lot of gay friends...”
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Me (continued): “There were probably 8-10 gay men at that dinner. At least 2 of those men were married when they were younger and have children. And it’s tragic, because society told them they had to act a certain way and do certain things, so they did...”
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Me (continued): “But, in the end, they were miserable, and when they left their wives, it devastated their wives, and their children. When you force people to live inauthentic lives, you don’t just hurt *them*. You hurt lots of *other* people, too...”
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Me (continued): “In a fair and just world, where we accept and celebrate people for who they are, those women would’ve married heterosexual men and had children with *them*. And in many cases, they’d still be married and the children would be better off, too.”
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And then I took a deep breath because I knew I could lose these people as potential voters. I could see them getting defensive, crossing their arms, but I weighed their 2 potential votes against the good I could do right then and there. And I continued.
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Me: “So... I know you’re good parents, and I know you love your children. Here’s my question for you: What do you want for your son?”
Them: “To be straight.”
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Me: (Another deep breath) “Okay... But I think most parents want their children to live a happy life. By ‘happy’ I mean a ‘fulfilled’ kind of happy. Not ‘I really like my TV or car’ happy.”
Them: “Yes, we want him to be happy. And straight.”
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Me: “Understood. So here’s the real question: if these are your two options, which would you want? Either Happy *or* Straight?”
Them: (Struggling) “Happy *and* straight.”
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Me: (Knowing this could really lose them if I push too hard) “The options in this scenario are ‘happy’ *OR* ‘straight’. You can only pick one.”
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Them: (Very long, uncomfortable pause, which I allowed to stay silent because, in any negotiation, the first person to speak loses. Then finally, begrudgingly.) “Happy.”
Me: “There’s your answer.”
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I believe I just helped a young man I’ve never met, and I did it using my status as an *independent* candidate for office, without actually holding any office. I simply engaged my neighbors.
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*This* is what gives me my pride and joy. And this is why I’m running for Congress. I want to facilitate true “liberty and justice for all” because I believe in it, and I don’t believe we actually have it.
Words<Actions
We hugged before I walked away, on to the next house.
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Independents are bridges where the parties are walls. And I still need your help.
Please go to the link below and pitch in whatever you can so we can take the fight to the corrupt establishment and repair our ailing society.
❤️
donorbox.org/voteforcox

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