Today as I drove to pick up my dry-cleaning at a South
Pasadena mall---and before I stopped at the local Starbuck’s to finish some
necessary reading----my cell phone rang with a number I did not recognize. I
don’t pick up such calls. (You never know when the NSA will trick you……)
A voicemail had been left for me. The caller said she is a Latina
who had come across my name and wanted to ask me a simple question. Depending
on my answer she said she might vote for me. Hurriedly I returned her call.
The woman who answered sounded fairly young and was very
polite. After some obligatory small talk she explained that her question was simple and would not take much time.
Then she asked: “Are you pro-life?”
I was a bit taken aback but I quickly answered: “Am I
pro-life? Well, I am a Catholic and so I support all life as precious, I
believe we should take care of the elderly and the infirm until death. I am
opposed to capital punishment and, though I am not personally in favor of
abortion, I strongly believe in a woman’s right to control her own body. I
think the latter point is what you are asking about.”
She then thanked me for my answer and for getting back to
her quickly. She hung up.
Well, I thought, that must be an organized
campaign---Baptists perhaps.
When I got to Starbuck’s a few moments later I had a text.
It read: “Thank you for your return call and your quick answer. You will get
all seven of my family’s votes.”
Wow, I thought. You cannot prejudge anyone’s stance or
sensibilities. To do so would be to risk misjudging—or as critical, to miss the
chance to learn from another person.
I saw this small incident as a reminder to be both honest
and a good listener in the campaign. I relished the diversity I would encounter
and vowed to do my best to rise to meet the challenge and opportunity.
Steve Schulte
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