Why a 22 year old liberal, from what use to be one of the most conservative counties in the country, chose Camp Wellston: Part I

by Carly Hanson

            I grew up in a home where politics was regular conversation, as my father was an extremely passionate liberal. He would often wake me up in the middle of the night to listen to him debate on the radio. I was always enthralled when I got to listen, partly because he was on the radio, and partly because I could feel my passion for politics growing. He was always patient, explaining to me in the most simple way possible, as I was all of ten years old at the time. I remember him taking me to a Dupage Democrats booth at a Naperville festival and introducing me to everyone. His name was Mark Hanson and he was a member of the Dupage Democrats up until 2004 when he passed away from cancer. Perhaps you knew him.

            Now, nearly ten years later, my enthusiasm for politics has only grown. As cliche as it sounds, his passing inspired me to follow my dreams, no matter what they are, or how impractical they may seem because I experienced first-hand how fragile life is. Studying sociology has opened my eyes to the staggering amount of injustices that happen every day to people in this country. I want to stop these injustices, to make life better for others, to finish what he never got the chance to do. By becoming a social organizer, I feel that I’ll be able to do just that. Fortunately, I found the perfect way to take the first steps toward my dream in a program based on the dreams of one of my father’s favorite politicians, the late Paul Wellstone.

If you are inspired to change something, anything, and to do it with heart and purpose, JOIN ME at Camp Wellstone, August 9-11 http://bit.ly/CWIllinois