Worth reading.....

[loyalsister]

Edwards' son wrote this essay and won a national award. Jesse Helms read the essay on the Senate floor as a eulogy. It's truly amazing! I got it a long time ago, and don't have the link any longer. I think, since it was read on the floor, it should be okay for circulation.

Fancy Clothes and Overalls
By: Lucius Wade Edwards

A little boy and his father walk into a firehouse. He smiles at people standing outside. Some hand pamphlets to his father. They stand in line. Finally, they go together into a small booth, pull the curtain closed, and vote. His father holds the boy up and shows him which levers to move.

"We're ready, Wade. Pull the big lever now."

With both hands, the boy pulls the lever. There it is: the sound of voting. The curtain opens. The boy smiles at an old woman leaving another booth and at a mother and daughter getting into line. He is not certain exactly what they have done. He only knows that he and his father have done something important. They have voted.

The scene takes place all over the country.

"Pull the lever, Yolanda."

"Drop the ballot in the box for me Pedro."

Wades, Yolandas, Pedros, Nikitas, and Chuis all over the United States are learning the same lesson: the satisfaction, pride, importance, and habit of voting. I have always gone with my parents to vote. Sometimes the lines are long. There are faces of old people and young people, voices of native North Carolinians in southern drawls and voices of naturalized citizens with their foreign accents. There are people in fancy clothes and others dressed in overalls. Each has exactly the same one vote. Each has exactly the same say in the election. There is no place in America where equality means as much as in the voting booth.

My father took me that day to the firehouse. Soon I will be voting. It is a responsibility and a right. It is also an exciting national experience. Voters have different backgrounds, dreams, and experiences, but that is the whole point of voting. Different voices are heard.

As I get close to the time when I can register and vote, it is exciting. I become one of the voices. I know I will vote in every election. I know that someday I will bring my son with me and introduce him to one of the great American experiences: voting.

I'm generally, thus far a Dean supporter. He has spoken to my pet issues more than Edwards. But, I do find this impressive. In some ways, it seems like an astonishing reversal. It's sort of like the father is carrying out the dreams of the son. This leads me to believe in his dedication. I am mad at him for skipping some votes, however. I'm keeping an open mind and will avidly support him if he wins the nomination, of course.
One thing the pragmatist in me recognizes is that 15 months is a long time, and there is plenty of time for any candidate to mess this thing up. I am using the scientific method in my selection process. I've ruled some candidates out, but there are still uncertainties floating around. Edwards happens to be one. I suspect he has some sort of plan to overtake the leaders. How well it will work remains to be seen. The Dean campaign is full of unpredictable variables. It will be interesting to watch.

[Paschall]

1. Here's a link

Though it doesn't seem to be working at the moment

http://www.wade.org/fancyclothes.html