Campaign Season

So today is the election in Maine. I have a tie to a candidate in the race, and so it's pretty exciting times around here. I've also learned alot, and I'll tell you why.
Unlike our northern cousins, people in the Arkansas Mitchell Family (AMF) [my mom's side] have an interest in but not fully active role in politics. None of us are legislators or anything. However of the parents and four children in the Maine Mitchell (M&M) branch, 5 have run for political office, and so far 3 have held an office while one is in the election process and another holds elected office. So suffice it to say, there is a different lifestyle up here.
And you know what that means...questions. Yep, that's right. Turns out I like to ask questions and when I get around people with different experiences I just ask and ask and ask and ask...and ask.
And so I'll give you three thoughts/highlights about my political experiences up here.
1) New England town hall meetings. So I walk into the Vassalboro town hall meeting in time to here the announcer say "welcome to the 239th annual Vassalboro town meeting." WHAT?! 239? that's older than the United States. And they voted on everything that was going to go on in their town. It's probably the longest running form of direct democracy in the world today. It was pretty cool stuff.

2) I grew up a democrat and so I knew what values I was taught to have. Now, I can ask people who do this stuff in a daily, practical way, why these values are important, and what is their rationale beyond the simple ideals.

3)Taxes and Law. My uncle Jim blew my mind like I was back in 1969. (rhyme intended, with reference to drug craze of the late 1960s. Please see The 1960's by Edward Rielly for more information) when he talked about law and penal codes being the foundation for civilization and cohesive society, while government exists such that cultures are not predicated on the big beating out the small but for all persons having basic, common access to goods and services. So I liked hearing about gov't. I also liked hearing about taxes. "they are a small price to pay for civilization"- Oliver Wendel Holmes. So there is a necessary, valuable purpose to the burden of taxes and it is that we are contributing to the functionality of the system that supports us (i.e. In order to have a system that allows us to pursue life, liberty, and happiness, we must support that system.)

Additional moments on the trail. Painting signs for Libby's gubernatorial campaign, putting up signs for the campaign, holding signs at intersections, entering data on phone calls, making phone calls (which I absolutely can't stand because I have to see people's faces when I interact/I don't like imposing on people).

All in all, I like seeing how and why our democracy tries to work, and there are few people like the M&Ms who can give me that sort of up close insight. So good luck to all the candidates and GO VOTE!


Also, if integrity is what matters and you vote for someone for the politics and critical thinking that is the manifestation of their integrity, then my aunt Libby shore is a good choice.