What Shaped Your Political Views?

[Mark Mentzer]

For me there are a few things. First and foremost I got my political views from my mom. She was a liberal Jew who grew up in El Paso, TX. The first thing I remember was coming home from school on Nov. 22, 1963 and my mom was crying. I asked her what was wrong and she told me the president was shot and killed. At first I thought, "Well he's not a relative or friend so why is she crying." But she made me aware of how important this was.

The next thing for me was when I was 12 Pete Seeger was to sing at the school auditorium but the powers that be wanted to squash because Pete was a card carrying communist. I didn't know any of this at the time but, what the hell, I love protests. So I joined in demanding, "LET SEEGER SING".

After this I was a full-fledged hippie. We had the Vietnam war and the protests against racial divide, womens rights and gay rights and I was into it all. I went to Woodstock. I ran from and held the police in disdain. I marched in Anti-Vietnam war protests and moved from the right coast to the left coast.

And, that's how I've been ever since. Yes, I'm an almost 56 year old rebel but, I will be left wing for the rest of my life!!!!

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So, relate your back story. What shaped your political views?

[Mark Mentzer]

Damn, I wish this TBD had kudos. Well, a BIG THUMBS UP from me. I was lucky enough to have been in the draft lottery with a large number.

[Sal Paradise]

Me too - number 317. Come to think of it, I should play that number... Or maybe it already used up all its luck - how much is a lifetime worth?

[James Worede]

My journey is a bit different than all of you. I have read so far. My mother is not into politics she was independent business lady. My father was economics professor in college. I can't catagorize him either to the left or to the right.. I have been interested in politics since my middle school year. I had a leftist social studies teacher. He always challanging the class in what ways can allivate the suffering of the difranchized. In my highschool year I read some of the socialist and communist litratures- Karl Marxs', Engleses', V. Lenins' Mao and even Trotiskys', Right out of hignschool, I got scholarship to study chemistry, I was so happy, I got to see a country who claimed they are socialist and communist. Was I disappionted, Yea big time. I was there back in early 80s, I have learnt my lesson, it is impractical to put into practice, human nature is way too complicated to impliment socialism let alone communism. Not too many people would go to study 8 years of post-secondary school to be a physicians, then the reward is not significantly higher than the person who drop out of highschool. What I saw in the Soviet Union has two classes- one the communist party members who are previlaged and the rest of the publics. I remember, we the students had 90 Rubble stependiums, and our professors were making barly 200 Rubble. I read most of Karl Marxs works including DAS Capital, in the paper it looks great but to put it in practice is imposible. No country have pure capitalist system, every country has the hybrid of capitalism and socialism or theocracy and down right dectatorialism, My political view has underwent through a lot of evolutionary process, we need activist government like in the model of FDR not like Regean and Nixon ( who broke the back of the unions systematically) or Bush or Hoover who let the richs gambled away the nations wealth to the abbyss ( you won't let the fox to safe gaurd the chickens) and responsible well informed and participating citzens in the idealistic mode of JFK where the people feel they are part of the system. And Finally, I hope he succeeds bringing about universal health care. ( the country like USA, the richest in the face of the earth not to have health care systems for its citzens).