Lessons from Defeat
*Editor’s note: The author is a 14 year old activist we had the pleasure of meeting during the primary campaign for Greg Brannon.
By now I’m sure we all got the crushing news from last night that confirmed all our worst fears. Team Brannon had worked so diligently and passionately that we had to have won, right? No. Not even close. But there is some good that comes from this equally exhilarating and exhausting experience.
The prevailing notion was that Brannon wouldn’t have enough support to defeat Kay Hagan, which was the ultimate goal all along. Of course this well-fought battle had some merits. Publicity, which will be a powerful ally in future races for Dr. Brannon; progress in the movement for those of us who actually like our freedom, and most notably, the endeavor itself. It seems cliché, but I believe the primary objective of this race was to garner attention and action. This is what rouses the American people and reminds them why they must continue the fight.
As a young person, I have taken a voracious interest in politics, not only because it affects me (control of education as well as future debt burdens), but also because it is inspiriting to be on the front lines of the most dynamic engagement of our time. As many analysts have speculated, people are beginning to “wake up.” Maybe many of them haven’t exactly been won over to the conservative/libertarian ideology, but their heads are no longer buried in the sand.
I have noticed this among people my age. A lot of the youth tend to gravitate towards the warm and fuzzy Democratic ideology as opposed to the “racist, homophobic, and archaic” ideas of the conservatives. However, I do not blame them. They are constantly consumed in technology, hearing outrageous allegations of the tea party from the powers that be that seem to control the media nowadays. They hear it from their teachers and now their history homework. For them, gay marriage and reproductive rights are all that matters in the forbidden realm of politics, and it’s no surprise that they always seem to come out pulling the lever for democrats.
What they don’t know is that that same party is also advocating for the mining of data on their precious smart phones and MacBook’s that feed them all of their beliefs. As well as the party that has historically been known for it’s racism. But there are parents who know to educate their children, such as my mom. We must expose our youth to the truths of each side. I like to consider myself a libertarian. I grew up of course in a fairly conservative household. My interest in political affairs began at the age of 12. I knew that politics were dirty, politicians were for the most part deceitful, but the topic held my interest, and I knew it was something that would influence the rest of my life. Many people like to exclude the topic from their conversations, but I’m one of the few that can’t get enough of it. In fact, I have found that I even have more meaningful conversations with like-minded adults rather than those my own age, because I have lost interest in the things that teenagers typically discuss. My parents recent decision to homeschool me has definitely contributed to my activism in current events.
What message am I trying to convey? Possibly to stay in the fight. Politics is certainly a dirty game, but an ongoing one. And one that is well worth fighting for among every age group. I know that I will continue to support Dr. Brannon in all of his future endeavors, because I know that it is well worth it. Brannon’s loss is certainly discouraging to all of us that have devoted our blood, sweat, and tears to the campaign, but it is also a reminder that we must learn to live with failure as well as we live with success. In the words of Ronald Reagan: “Freedom is never more than a generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children’s children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.”
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