From my point of view, we are in a dire political situation in this county that requires an immediate correction. The stakes are incredibly high in this midterm election and races all around the country are converging on election day, November 6, to determine our future vector. Beyond reading Twitter and freaking myself out, I have not personally made any effort to convince anyone else to vote until today. Luckily, Alaina has been fully committed to the cause of encouraging citizens to make good decisions at the ballot box and today she brought me to Mastic Beach, Long Island, to canvass for Perry Gershon, candidate for U.S. House Representative in district NY-1. Mastic Beach happens to be the hometown of his incumbent opponent, Lee Zeldin, who has eagerly embraced the repulsive extremism of the current administration. We knocked on about 70 doors around a dozen blocks and encountered a diverse array of political opinions across the whole spectrum, with interest ranging from no idea about the upcoming election to firmly and passionately entrenched on either side. Some interactions were abrupt and awkward and some were receptive and appreciative. There were a few moments where it felt like we might have influenced someone to cast a vote for Good. The whole experience was profound; it was an insightful walk through a neighborhood and its characters, our purpose bringing us into contact with a raw cross-section of people that I would never ordinarily meet and talking politics, the most divisive subject known to humanity. But while most people are sure of their views and unlikely to be swayed by a knock and a chat, it felt good to greet people regardless of their political views and was a reminder that we are all neighbors.
Sports are divisive too but I don’t feel any need to knock on doors to convince people to root for the Red Sox. The only people I care about being Sox (and Pats, and Celts, and B’s) fans are my kids and only to selfishly ensure their rooting interests align with mine! Obviously we are raising them to be compassionate progressive liberals too, and hopefully teaching them that persistent effort and focused energy can have a very real and positive impact on the future of our country.