Up until my mid-twenties, I never gave much
thought to politics. I never viewed the
democratic process as anything that pertained to me or anything tangible that I
could have any influence over. It was my
opinion that nothing that I could do would ever make a difference. I had two amazing experiences that forever
changed my mind about politics and getting involved in the democratic process. The first was working for the Utah State Bar
Association and the second was volunteering for political campaigns. Through both experiences I developed a passion for politics and
government that I know I will have the rest of my life.
In 2008 I worked for the Utah State
Bar as the Pro Bono Coordinator. I was
in charge of placing habeas corpus cases for inmates, running two legal aid
clinics, recruiting and retaining attorneys for pro bono work, and finding new
ways to raise funds for legal aid. While
working for the Utah State Bar I had the extraordinary experience of writing
and submitting Senate Bill 215 to the Utah State Senate. The bill’s goal was to raise funds for legal
aid in Utah. The bill was for an “And
Justice for All” license plates in which all proceeds would benefit legal aid
in Utah. I began by researching similar
specialty license plates bills and found language that I could use to assist me
in writing the bill. After I had a draft
of the bill I submitted it to Utah State Senator Greg Bell and House Representative
Lorie D. Fowlke and asked for them to sponsor the bill. After they agreed the bill was presented to
the Utah Transportation Committee and was accepted by a unanimous vote. I can’t express the amazing feeling of
accomplishment for the small bill that I created. The bill was approved by the Utah State
Senate and was sent to the Utah House of Representatives, where unfortunately
the 2009 Session ended without the bill ever being heard. The bill is still on file at the Utah State
Senate and will be heard by the House of Representatives next year. It gives me an immense sense of pride to know
what it is like to be an active part of the democratic process. If you would like to view the bill you can
see it at http://le.utah.gov/~2009/bills/sbillint/sb0215.htm.
Another amazing experience was
working for the Brian King campaign for Utah House of Representatives in
District 28 and for President Obama’s campaign in 2008. I had never before
worked on a political campaign and I was amazed at all of the work that went
into the process.
For President Obama’s campaign I
had a small role of knocking on doors and passing out literature, but for the
local campaign of Brian King I was assigned the role of volunteer coordinator.
I was responsible for tasks such as calling people to ask if they would
volunteer to canvass, phone bank, or just put up a yard sign. I was grateful
for this position as it helped me strengthen my leadership skills.
Once I was able to secure
volunteers, we began walking. I walked with volunteers and other campaign staff
every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 5 p.m. until dark. We also walked
all day on Saturdays, breaking only for lunch. Yes, we walked in the snow,
rain, or sunshine, and we knocked doors until the sun went down. I’m personally
proud to say that we knocked on every door in district 28 at least once and
personally asked each individual for their vote. Knocking on strangers’ doors presented me
with the opportunity to improve upon my public speaking skills. At first, the
canvassing was really intimidating, but I have always had a difficult time
speaking in front of large groups. I have to admit, I was really thankful when
people didn’t answer the doors and I could just leave a piece of literature. By
the end of the summer, I was irritated when no one was home. I had my pitch
down for Brian and I was actually good at getting “ones” or “definitely voting
King”. In my opinion, the face-to-face voter contact was the most effective way
to make an impression for the candidate.
It was truly inspiring to see the candidate knocking doors along with
all of the staff and volunteers. Brian was almost always the last to pack it in
for the night, always saying that there was just one more street that he had to
get to, one more sign he needed to deliver.
As I look back on my time
volunteering, there is no doubt that it played an invaluable role in my
professional life. Not only did I learn about the ins and outs of working on a
political campaign, but I also learned the importance of networking and public
speaking. For much of the political “real world” is dependent on both your
experience and who you know. The work was not glamorous or overly-stimulating,
but it was wonderful to experience how a campaign is run and how different members
of our community relate to the process.
In the end, our efforts were not in vain. Collectively our campaign
distributed over 750 yard signs, we raised over $50,000, and we got our message
out. We were successful in electing Brian King as Representative of District 28
and of course... President Obama was elected as well.
I was lucky to be a part of a huge
democratic outpouring of political support that helped elect good candidates,
spanning the distance between the local level with Brian King and national
level with President Obama. It was an
historic year and I played a small part in that history. I can't think of anywhere I could have
learned more about working with people, being an advocate, organizing for a
particular goal, and motivating volunteers. And on top of all that--we
won! That's the best part. Campaigns are
hard, trying, endurance tests and the reason so few people run for office is
that it's hard to run a campaign well and hard to be one of the people
responsible for its success. That combination
is what gets into a lot of people's blood and makes it interesting for them.
I plan to stay involved. To build on the skills I have learned and
continue to offer my services to another candidate that I believe in. I believe that this is what being a good
citizen in a democracy is all about, being an active political participant in
our communities to enrich all our lives.
