gamo*phi parade

gamo*phi Perspectives

Please welcome my first guest writer...

ENLIST
by Andrew Dodge

Just one generation ago, we as Americans came upon a divide in the road. How did we want to change? What did we want to do about the problems we faced? Women’s rights. Civil Rights. Viet Nam. The Cold War. Some saw it as a hippie movement. But that was only the provocative face of the times. In reality, the choice of change was upon America, and every citizen was forced to take a side.

Now, sadly, we have all come across another divide in our path to the future. Gay rights. Terrorism. Stem cell research. Iraq. And once again every citizen will be forced to take a side.

But the conditions are different. Corporations dominate the flow of news coverage. “Spin” is no longer a Washington insider term. A minority is defining “Family Values”, while dishonesty is being taught as something to overlook in our leaders.

To say that a “culture war” is taking place may sound quite titillating. As well as it suggests our daily battles are as dangerous as the actual fighting taking place - where our people are really dying. But we are indeed fighting battles. And we all are participating.

Whether we choose to go AWOL or not is up to us.

Let’s not. Imagine if every American voted. Do you think political actions would be conducted with such recklessness?

I don’t.

Do you think that American blood would be spilled so easily for a “Cause de Jeur” instead of vanquishing a growing international culture of hate?

I don’t.

Do you think we would have leaders that actually respect those that sacrifice their lives so unquestioningly by attending military funerals?

I do.

So, in a way, I have enlisted myself. I will fight the daily battles. I will do my part to make sure that America makes the right choices.

And the first shot that I am going to volley over the bow of the conservative right is to vote.

So now I wear a dog tag to remind me every day. VOTE. VOTE. VOTE.

I urge everyone to enlist. Get your dog tag. Identify yourself.

Otherwise, one day, many of us will be wearing real dog tags for reasons we never even paid enough attention to be able to articulate.

Andrew Dodge is a cool guy I work with. He is as addicted to online shopping as I am. In his spare time he likes to collect ants for his daughter Charlie, slurp salted tomato juice and tell people to vote.

Posted by Mollie Gamo at September 17, 2004 11:00 AM | TrackBack