Recently, I was interviewed for a newspaper article on the progression of the election “season”—the reporter was curious if my role as a single parent was the primary influence as to how I vote for individuals, ballot measures, and laws. It really got me to thinking about whether I AM influenced more by my single parent status, or by other demographic realities, as well as my personal value and belief systems?
I have to be honest and admit that my single parent status and role does influence what is important to me in the political sphere, but it is not the only consideration. I think that my voting is also influenced by my gender, my socio-economic group, the region where I live, my life experiences, my spirituality, AND the other social and personal issues that are important to me. But, my single parent status definitely IS a consideration. I don’t know if I would be as concerned about things like health care, economics, higher education, reproductive rights, and child welfare issues if I wasn’t a mother and a single parent at that. While I am able to think beyond these immediate daily life concerns, and my connections to the “outside world” also pull me into more global issues, these are some of the biggies for me. I respond to candidates who address these issues and have feasible plans for how to solve what I have experienced as big problems.
What about you? How big of a role does your single parent experience and status play in how you vote (or intend to)? Does it play any role at all, a small influencer, or is it a big one like I think it is for me? Do you consider yourself a prime representative of the “single parent” demographic, or do you think there are other things that influence your voting more?
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