Voices of the Past
Ryan: “What was your childhood like and how did it shape who you are today?”
Laura: “Well…my dad was…had always had back tumors, and so he was always uh…on pain medications and so I learned how…uh hard it was to live with our health care system. And that definitely shaped my views of our current health care system and how it needs to be changed. And uh… has made me sympathetic toward what Obama has been trying to do with the Affordable Care Act. Uhm he also has been on disability so that has shaped my, my view of a more socialist…uh oriented government towards, you know, with government benefits helping the people. A more involved government.”
Ryan: “Okay…Cool. And so…what is the most vivid memory that you have of your childhood? When you first think back about it?”
Laura: “Uh…oh man……probably my dad in the hospital the first time after surgery. And not being able to pay for groceries because his medication cost so much.”
Ryan: “Okay so it was really…it was a real experience for you…Okay so umm…were your parents, or was your dad politically active during your childhood? You know, was the news on the TV a lot?
Laura: “Yes. We- I grew up watching the news every day with my parents-or with my dad. He was very uhm, he always worked for the state of Texas…uh growing up. And he was a uh he…he was a safety manager so he was always politically active in uh the law. And uhm working for uh disability benefits for people through the government.
Ryan: “And so did he serve in any elected positions or…?”
Laura: “Noo. He didn’t.”
Ryan: “Okay…and so what was I guess, what was frequently discussed-politically speaking-at your home? You know, was it just basic…what the news was going with or was it deeper than that?”
Laura: “Uhm… I mean… I always knew that I was supposed to vote for Al Gore in the third grade election…[laughing] uhm…I mean yes I grew up with my, you know my dad, and hearing my parents talking about uhm not wanting George Bush elected and you know never really understood why but…”
Ryan: “But now you do…”
Laura: “But now I do, now I understand” [laughing]
Ryan: “Okay…cool…So let’s kind of fast forward to where you are now, graduating from the University of Rochester with a degree in international relations, correct?”
Laura: “Yes.”
Ryan: “Cool. And so I mean, you can’t get around the fact that there are a lot of kids uhm graduating who are ignorant of politics and don’t really know what is going on in the world. So would you consider yourself active and interested in politics now?”
Laura: “Yes I would say so.”
Ryan: “Mhmm…Uhm and so I guess…kind of, where do you get most of your information from and how do you feel about it?”
Laura: “I read the news every day. I read BBC and Huffington Post, which is a little biased, but and I mean I’ve been watching MSNBC with my grandparents and dad since I was in high school. Uhm and I I like to read uhm…foreign policy magazines and you know I keep up to date on all the political and world happenings.”
Ryan: “So you would consider yourself active?”
Laura: “Yes.”
Ryan: “And you form your own opinions on everything?”
Laura: “Yes.”
Ryan: “And where, where does this interest in politics come from really?”
Laura: “Uhm…I don’t know, I think growing up and, and seeing kind of how my dad and situation had been affected by the government and, my grandparents and dad always watched MSNBC during elections and stuff and I was always just supposed to be there.”
