Kathleen McQuillan

“Ask not what your country can do for you.
Ask what you can do for your country.”

The memory is of a young and vibrant newly elected president, John F. Kennedy, standing at a podium giving his inaugural address. My family was ecstatic over his successful bid for the White House. He was a Democrat, handsome, Irish and a Catholic! Their admiration for him and their hope for the future was infectious. I was seven years old. Kennedy became my hero and his words stuck in my innocent mind like glue. Now several decades and presidential election cycles later, his words inspire me once again.
These are turbulent times. We have a highly charged, tempestuous campaign going on. Our society is deeply divided on many important issues, and polarized to such an extreme that we cannot even agree on what is a fact. And I, like many, feel a visceral anxiety over the potential outcomes of this year’s November election. This eloquent “call to action” is as relevant today as ever.
Recently, I walked the streets of some nearby communities, knocking on doors talking to people in my district and sharing the bio’s of two candidates for political office who have garnered my respect and trust. I hadn’t canvassed in many years and so was a little nervous. I wasn’t sure how my visit would be received. I knew how controversial some issues were and how volatile the atmosphere has become. Many families and friends have even quit speaking to one another. Oodles of doom and gloom stories are circulating. And a lot of people are reporting feeling depressed, overcome with fear or anger, or all of the above. I know what they’re talking about. I feel helpless at times, too. I agreed to canvass for these candidates because I care a lot about the future. I thought maybe doing something might help me sleep better at night.
Last weekend I met with a small group of folks in Ely, most of them strangers to me, to partner up and go knocking on doors. We would briefly introduce ourselves, say why we were visiting, and then ask people what they were most worried about and wanted to see and hear from those running for public office. We would also be frank about our preferred candidates. First, Harley Droba, the current Mayor of International Falls who is seeking the Minnesota House seat representing District 3A. And then, former member of Minnesota’s House of Representatives Jen Schultz who is now running for the Eighth District Congressional seat in the House of Representatives.
It was a hot steamy summer day and many doors weren’t answered. We figured many were gone to the lake, enjoying BBQ and cool breezes while we were beating the pavement looking for some opened doors with open-minded people inside who’d be willing to engage in a brief conversation about what mattered to us. We listened to ideas and opinions on what would make our communities more functional, about issues at the state and national levels and answered their questions about Harley and Jen. We left them with a piece of campaign literature and a heartfelt message that our votes in November do matter! Not one person was rude or dismissive. I began the day with reluctance and ended with more hope, trust, and faith in my community than when I’d started.
I was proud to be talking about two candidates who exhibit the qualities we long for in political leaders — competency, honesty, compassion, and an ability to listen and learn from others — people who make door-knocking a pleasure. The hard work and energy they were investing to get elected, not for their personal gain but for the common good, got me off my couch to do something that might help. Getting out there dispelled my fears and connected me with other caring people. I could share a positive message with others and discovered others doing the same for me. Two thumbs up!
I’ve been politically active, in one form or another, throughout my life. My mom enlisted me to help organize a neighborhood clean-up effort on the very first Earth Day in 1970. We hung posters on lampposts with an invitation and the simple instruction, “Bring a rake.” My mom supplied big bags and some neighbor ladies set up a table with cold drinks and snacks. A bunch of kids and parents showed up and everyone had a blast. Our neighborhood needed the TLC and we were proud of what we’d accomplished.
That fall, I was the first girl to be elected president of my high school senior class. My best friend was elected president for Student Council. She also was a first. Rumors spread, trying to explain how this had happened, but whatever it was, for us it felt “historic.” We had broken a “glass ceiling” before we even knew they existed.
While a student at Eastern Michigan University, a new “third party” was forming in Washtenaw County. They were seeking candidates to run in city councils and county commissioner races. I was drafted by a small group of peers and ran for Ypsilanti’s city council. After a grueling three-way race between myself, the Republican incumbent, and a Democrat, I lost by a mere eight votes. I’d vowed to knock on every door in my ward and although I wasn’t elected, at an early age I’d learned first-hand how our electoral process works plus I’d listened to a lot of people, learning about how we think and form opinions on our issues. Most of all, I realized that as long as we have a democracy, we will need well-intentioned, honest and thoughtful, committed and courageous people to run for public office.
I’m a firm believer in our democracy. I know it’s far from perfect. And it’s been sorely undermined in recent years by a flood of “fake” information, manipulation, exclusion, and cynicism. It’s hard to remain hopeful when there are so many complicated and critical issues, and decisions to be made in really tough conditions, even threats to our security. But I want to reiterate that knocking on doors, meeting my fellow citizens who are struggling to decide if our political system is even worth taking part in, was such an important and worthwhile way to spend some precious time. I learned that we really can be a nation primarily composed of thoughtful and caring people.
The words of President John F. Kennedy are as inspiring today as they were decades ago. I’ll wrap this up with another message I adopted from my past. It came from a San Francisco radio news host named Wes “Scoop” Nisker. He’d sign off his regular evening broadcast with these words. “If you don’t like the news, go out and make some of your own.”
There’s about a hundred days before November 7. Let’s get out there and make some good news!