A week ago today, I told my five-year-old half black, half white son to get his coat on because we needed to go change the world.
I explained that we were going to be knocking on people’s doors and talk to them about Barack Obama. He said, "How is that going to change the world?"
"Daniel," I said, "there are a lot of ways to change the world, but important changes can happen when people talk to their families, friends and neighbors about things that matter most to them -- like who should be the President. It might seem like we aren’t changing the world, but we are. We are because millions of people are doing what we are doing today and together we can make this country stronger."
I asked him if he understood. He said he thought so. I wasn’t so sure.
Then he started singing the final refrain to one of his favorite songs, "Billy the Bully" by children’s musician Justin Roberts. Most of you probably haven’t heard this song. It is available here: http://www.last.fm/... It is a wonderful and inspirational song about a classroom bully and how, at the end of the song, the class begins to stand up to him. The final refrain is "one by one by one by one (it happened) one by one by one by one (it started) one by one by one by one."
When he started singing that song, I knew he understood.
By the end of that day in rural Virginia, my family was exhausted. There wasn’t much to show for it beyond some coded canvassing packets. We even had one McCain supporter come out to meet us with a rifle in hand (although he was a perfect gentleman). However, by the end of the day, Daniel had his first introduction to grassroots politics, an invaluable lesson.
This election is inspiring for many reasons. However, one of the most inspiring to me as a father is the lessons millions of children from ages 5 to 18 are learning. As they watch their parents make calls, donate money and knock on doors, they learn that politics is more than deciding and voting. It is about owning a campaign. It is about community. It is about sacrifice and activism. It gives me one more reason to hope for the future.
I am thankful not just because this campaign is teaching my son that someone who looks like him can become the most powerful person in the world, but also because it is teaching him that, by taking the time to engage in grassroots politics to steer this great democracy, he already is.