While growing up, I didn’t give much thought to party affiliation – I was too young to fully understand the concepts of leadership and responsibility. I do remember the somber stillness of the classroom after the announcement of JFK’s attack was broadcast over the school PA system. Elementary school children such as us had no experience in processing what we heard and our parent’s attempt at an explanation over the dinner table didn’t truly tell the story. Their tears spoke for them far more than their words. And later in high school, we all felt loss again when MLK and RFK succumbed in rapid succession. My coming of age as a voter occurred at a tumultuous time during an unpopular war and civil unrest. I chose then to be a Democrat.

I’ve reflected on that choice many times since. As citizens, we have a choice when we register to vote; to align with a group that shares ideals or to remain undeclared until the choice is upon us in the voting booth. Each is an honorable path. Although the pursuit of ideals is imperfect in any civic group, I remain a Democrat because those ideals still exist, and I find comfort in the expression of empathy for all of us in the policies that are pursued. Clearly there is hard work ahead as a society, but I’m confident in the perspective that at its core, civic engagement is, or should be, about neighbors helping neighbors.

*****

Kevin Deeny