Reply #44: Developed into one. [View All]

[longship]

My parents were born in the 1910's and grew up poor, very poor--children of immigrants. My mother's parents came from Finland, my father's from Norway.

My father was a life-long Republican. He idolized Ike.
My mother was a life-long Democrat. She idolized FDR.

On election days my father came home from work, put on the wry little smile that he reserved for times when he was up to no good, and said, "I've got to go cancel your mother's vote." It was all in good humor. My parents never fought about much of anything, let alone politics. But damned if my father didn't nullify every single one of my mother's votes.

With the mixed political environment, my political views didn't gel until I graduated from high school. After muddling around with various political persuasions on both sides, by graduation I had drifted to the left for good. The balance of the sixties and seventies just cemented that trend. I've not looked back since.