Political chain reaction

I am a full time student at North Lake, work full-time at a software company in human resources, and try to be a full-time mother. I enjoy my job because I am able to express myself and speak to my supervisor about current events and politics on a personal level.

In my government class, Dr. Gabriel Bach informed us that we could vote on nine amendments to the Texas Constitution on or before Nov. 8. Well, before I started thinking about voting or not voting, Dr. Bach said that every vote counts. He added that one of the reasons people do not vote is because people do not believe their vote matters.

I went to work the next day and asked my manager if she had voted. She said yes, she voted for Bush. I couldn't help but chuckle because I am just a college student at the low end of the totem pole at my job and my manager had no idea what I was talking about. As uninformed about this vote as she was, I explained to her what the Nov. 8 amendments were about. I mentioned Proposition 2 defi ning marriage, telling her that this could take health insurance away from same sex partners if the amendment passed and also take away equal protection rights from the people. This could become a Human Resource nightmare especially for our company because we allow same-sex partner insurance. I also gave her the Web site Dr. Bach provided us: www.sos.state.tx.us for her to find more information about the November vote.

About a week later my manager told me she had researched the amendments and was excited about voting. This was the fi rst time I actually felt politically mature enough to make a positive decision regarding laws that affect my life and my child's life. My manager told me she was so excited she called her mother to tell her about it, discussing Proposition 2 and, as they conversed on the phone, her husband overheard their political chit-chat. Now he wanted to know more about the voting and how he could make a difference in the lives of Texans by voting his beliefs. As she conveyed to me later, my manager brought up the need to vote to her pastor as well.

Her pastor not only agreed to mention the Nov. 8 voting deadline, but pointed out the propositions at the beginning of his sermon. He explained that people can make a difference and that it is people like you and me (talking to the congregation) who can make a difference. My manager also attended a Christian Woman's Convention where she announced the Nov. 8 opportunity to vote on important amendments. I am happy to say that my mother, my sister, my manager and her husband, and (from what I heard) most of her friends, her congregation and the conventioneers voted.

I feel that I made a difference, my voice was heard and my opinion and beliefs mattered.

And this political chain reaction all started in Dr. Bach's government class.