11-05-2024 4:50am

MY FIRST ELECTION:

My First Election

By J.B. Dean

JB Dean is an occasional contributor. He was a reporter who covered local politics, sports, people and events. "Working Man" is his memoir.

During the summer of 1980, at 18, my Eagle Scout project was a large display case in the center of the North Point Library, Dundalk, Baltimore County. For 3 months I publicized the need to conserve energy, with factoids, charts and graphics depicting the importance of awareness about the "energy crisis." It was all layed out over a 3' by 6' felt-lined, thick locked glass case, like in the Smithsonian to be viewed by local library visitors.

Jimmy Carter's nationwide intitiative regularly featured him wearing, and insisting, we wear sweaters and turn the lights off. I hated sweaters, and luckily, I was usually always hot. Carter seemed very southern genteel, but wimpy. I was not sure if I should believe him but I bought into the scare.

"The US is only 5% of the population but uses 40% of the energy." was the headline of my exhibit. Our neighborhood had to deal with daily--among other hardships--gasoline siphoning thefts from Dad & neighbors cars, waiting in long lines over an hour to fill-up, and requests to turn down our thermostats, 20% interest rates, no jobs, a poor economy, and American hostages being paraded on TV 444 days taunting Carter, a weak leader. Luckily I was headed to community college and did not need a job? He is known as the worst President of all-time, though we can still feel sympathy as he lies helpless in a hospital gurney to commemorate 100 years.

I voted for John Anderson in the primary. I was independent, with a progressive streak. He was a Carter and Vietnam critic, nerdy with wild ideas--different--an early, left-leaning, Ross Perot. I called myself a liberal late in my 20's, until I found WBAL's conservative Ron Smith on local talk radio. But at 18, Reagan was different. Since Anderson was eliminated, I had to go for the California Cowboy who at least seemed strong, confident and could swing an ax. It turned out that RR was the best thing to save the country at that time but nobody could predict that about a B-movie actor.

We ended up getting out of the Carter ecomomy, though it took a few years, and the governmental marass that he had brought. Reagan's win sent the hostages home. We got even more from RR, with the break-up of the USSR and the iron curtain, and generally better opportunities as I was entering adulthood.

This election has similarities. To those 21 or younger, this election is about your future and hopefully you also get more than you bargained for as a result.