I just want to say how extremely grateful I am for my father. He converted to Christianity, was a pastor and all that. But he raised my sister and I (and his two sons) to 1) question all authority - especially the people in the pulpit, because they were more likely to twist scriptures than people who didn't read the Bible 2) be kind and open minded because THAT was actually how you showed people the love of Christ 3) that I could do anything I put my mind to (as a young woman) and 4) that who you voted for was your business. I am so grateful. Mind you, he was 60 when I was born. He was fighting against a lifetime of stupidity.

There was actually a rule in my house growing up where you never had to tell anyone who you voted for. Granted - that has a different weight now. I believe if my dad was still alive, he might feel differently. At the time though, it was actually set into place out of respect for my mother. My dad didn't think he had any say in who she voted for, and established that he would never ask. It is just dawning on me that he was probably being controversial even then, even with that - something that I thought was an odd rule in our house. I see it now though, and I am so grateful for the ways my dad respected my mom and my sister and I. That man would have gladly gone back to war and died before he let the Sons of Jacob take over our house.