Notes From D.R. | Random Thoughts on the Passing Scene

I guess I was a Republican even before I realized it.

In the fall of 1988, my sixth-grade woodworking class was given an assignment: make a small sign with a foot-long piece of wood and some carving tools. We were told that we could use whatever slogan or trademark we wanted, so long as we did not make use of profanity.

I knew most of my fellow students would make signs with Coca-Cola symbols and the like, so I wanted to do something different. I ran through several different ideas before I decided upon a political slogan. My teacher had a copy of that morning’s Boston Herald on his desk, and George H. W. Bush was on the cover, so I decided to use the slogan "BUSH ‘88" with large letters.

Now keep in mind that at this point, I didn’t know the difference between a Democrat and a Republican. I had nothing against Mike Dukakis, though I was aware that the Herald had run numerous stories about his poor stewardship of the state’s economy. I hadn’t even paid that much attention to the Presidential election; I only wanted Bush to win because he seemed much nicer than Dukakis.

It took me about a week to finish carving and painting the sign. When I finished and showed it off to the class and teacher, I received nothing but horrified stares. I didn’t say anything, but I couldn’t understand why they were so shocked that I had made a pro-Bush sign. It was several years before I realized what had happened; in this predominately black middle school, many of the teachers were hardcore Democrats, and many of the students had been raised in environments in which Bush and other Republicans were routinely denounced as racists.

Despite the negative reaction I received, I was immensely proud of the sign, and displayed it in my room for several months before I accidentally damaged it in 1989. I couldn’t repair the sign and had to dispose of it, but I’m still proud of the effort I put into it, and the fact that I didn’t back down in the face of scorn.

Even before I became a Republican, I always respected Bush; I could never understand why he and Dan Quayle were subjected to such harsh ridicule from entertainers and certain folks in the press. Between 1989 and 1992, It was considered "cool" to be against Bush and Quayle; since I felt the attacks on both men were unfair, I preferred to be "uncool." Looking back, I guess that was a sign.