Were you ever politically innocent?

[senseandsensibility]

I was, until I was in my early thirties. I literally did not care about politics. I never thought about it. Obviously, this was irresponsible. I regret it to this day.

But oh, how I miss it sometimes. Everything is political to me now. Everything. My friends are mostly from political organizations that I belong to. My hubby, my best friend, is far left, and we talk about politics constantly. I find myself seeing everything through a political lens.

Although I realize that there is a balance to be struck between total disengagement and obsession, the balance can be difficult to achieve. I haven't achieved it, anyway. And sometimes I miss the innocence.:shrug:

[oregonjen]

1. After the 2000 election, I woke up

Will Pitt was a good resource. His "Hell to Pay" woke me up. I had no idea what our government was capable of. I was in my early thirties too. :hi:

[senseandsensibility]

4. I'm not the only one!

Good to know!

[stevebreeze]

2. No, I grew up a junkie (politically speaking)

I was first able to vote in the 72 election. Sadly while I was not Innocent, I was stupid. I voted for Nixon, but I'm feeling much better now.

[senseandsensibility]

3. You've "recovered" so to speak

Good!:)

[stevebreeze]

17. a lot of education in the school of hard knocks did it.

I work in construction so I pay a lot of attention to economics.

[MadisonProgressive]

5. Once you take the red pill it's hard to go back

[LittleClarkie]

7. Yes, but sometimes ignorance is bliss

Suddenly I wanna steak.

[senseandsensibility]

9. LOL

Me. too!:hi:

[MadisonProgressive]

11. Hey LittleClakie!

I see you're from beertown. I live in Madison. Have you ever attended a DU get together? I'd like to make one soon!

[LittleClarkie]

19. A couple of them

ClassWarrior, RevCheesehead, Cindylouwho and Ralps as well. Hope you can make it sometime.

[LittleClarkie]

6. 2 years ago?

when was it exactly that the justification for going to war went from "WMDs" to "war of liberation"

And even then, I still was only vaguely aware until about a year and a half ago, when I became aware of the detainees at Gitmo and that they hadn't been given due process because apparently that is just a gift we give ourselves because we think we're cute as Americans, and not a right that every human being deserves.

Gitmo got me here. And I miss being unconscious sometimes. My non-political friends are sick of me, and my Repub friends make fun.

[MadisonProgressive]

8. It was nice when I lived in Stepford. Those days are gone forever.

[senseandsensibility]

14. Lived in Stepford!

Exactly. And you're right, on matter how I feel about it, those days are gone forever. Sometimes I just wish I'd been more aware, and I could have savored my last day as a stepford.

[MadisonProgressive]

24. The only pleasure I derive from knowing the truth

is that I won't be quite so devastated when the shit hits the fan. There are a vast majority of people in this country that are due for a VERY rude awakening!

[kentuck]

10. until I was in the middle of Vietnam...

Which I imagine a lot of GIs are starting to see the light about now, just like many of us did in Vietnam. I came back and campaigned for George McGovern and against Nixon. I was very up to date on the Watergate issues when I was in my early twenties...

[MadisonProgressive]

16. Bless your heart.

The best fighters we have are those that are fueled by personal experience. I admire you for that.

[senseandsensibility]

21. Vietnam would take anyone's innocence away

Thanks for your service, both in Vietnam and back here.:toast:

[PA Mamma]

12. Early Thirties, too...

right now 31. I was always an activist, Truthseeker, anti-authoriatrian but never Politically aware like I have become.
Balance is difficult and soemthing that I struggle with. Yes, it's sad and my family sometimes suffers, but no regrets.
The old days were more relaxed and less likely to kill me but at times I feel so alive and impassioned like never before as well.
Good Post - Thanks

[senseandsensibility]

18. Thanks for your detailed response!

Interesting. I love hearing about what has influenced fellow DUers.:)

[MadisonProgressive]

20. Life and death seems to wake people up, eh?

[BamaGirl]

13. I grew up with "political junkie" parents, so

no lol. ;) I relaxed a lot during the Clinton years, though, sadly. The last 5 have been a shock.

[applegrove]

15. Until i was in my early twenties I was a pushover. Now I push! n/t

[LittleClarkie]

23. I am 41. I just woke up last year

after my dad died. Until then, I was busy taking care of him.

[applegrove]

30. I was from a very political family. I loved politics even as a kid. I just

knew not much about life until my twenties. And yes - politics is not something you can easily be active in when you have huge responsibilities. A time and a place for politics for sure. Welcome to the DU.

Except when it gets really seriously warped..and you find yourself dropping everything to fight for a way of life that worked fine until a very few people decided it had to change in the image they have chosen for it. And I try to move away and get on with things I should be getting on with..but then I feel guilty or misinformed. So I come back. For more hours in the day that I should. I'm working on getting back into real life too.

But I hate Utopians & liars!

I remember my first election. I followed the campaign and fell for the slick dick and voted against most of my feelings. Been there..done that.

[legally blonde]

22. no, not really

I first became aware of politics (and that I was a firm liberal) in the 1992 election (I was 13 at the time). In the past few years, I've been increasingly more and more liberal (if that's possible). I'm constantly on DU (although I don't post often), reading everything I can about politics, news, etc. My boyfriend thinks I'm obsessed. :shrug: What can I say? I'm a political junkie.

[senseandsensibility]

26. Well, post more often!

We're not really mean here in GDP, no matter what SOME people say. LOL!! I think it's great that you were so interested at such a young age.

[legally blonde]

27. LOL

I usually post in the lounge and in the Pets Group. When I read GD or LBN and I think of something to post, someone always beats me to the punch!

[Syncronaut Seven]

25. 1973

10 years old. Watergate, Viet Nam, catching hell for ditching school to catch the WG hearings, which I found profoundly interesting. Walter Cronkite, the body counts, my questions answered by a very wise, pacifist grandfather.

I lived in a different world than my peers, I think sometimes I still do.

[Art_from_Ark]

29. Wow, you had to skip school to catch the WG hearings

At my school (admittedly a high school), we got to skip class to watch them in the Civics classroom.

[TheFarseer]

28. The Iraq thing did it for me

I had a hard time deciding who to vote for in 2000! When we started talking about invading Iraq, I knew it was totally wrong. I didn't have to have anyone tell me either. I made up my own mind and didn't listen to "talking heads" on TV.

[jwirr]

31. My wake up calls happened when JFK, Martin Luther King

and RFK were killed and the Veitnam War and 1968 Democrat Convention finished the lesson.

[FreedomAngel82]

32. Yes

Before last year I never really cared. Now I'm a political freak. ;)

[senseandsensibility]

35. Welcome to freakville!

Most of the inmates are nice! Glad to have you aboard!:)

[Blue_In_AK]

33. I haven't been politically innocent

since November 22, 1963. I was only 17, but everything changed after JFK was assassinated.

[deadparrot]

34. I was...until kindergarten.

Then there I was, the child of Democrats amidst raving, conservative religious neocons. :)