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A little over a year ago, I joined the BlogHer team as a contributing editor for Politics and News, highlighting views from "The Right".
My first post was published here in 2006, just before the 2006 Senate and House elections. The topic was embryonic stem cell research and the campaign ads that featured actor Michael J. Fox.
Sixty-two comments were posted in response. Some reactions were good, others were tough to swallow, but I was so proud of my first attempt at writing about politics.
It wasn't easy to put my views out there for all to read. I was shy. I was nervous. I was worried about sparking controversy. I wanted readers to like me, regardless of my political affiliation and I wasn't sure I had the thick skin needed to overcome the remarks from those who didn't agree with me.
Over time, my writing became more reserved. I cared too much about what others thought and I started taking the safer route, hoping to avoid conflict, always opting for peaceful conversations in place of heated debate -- and sometimes my emotions led me into discussions I wasn't prepared for.
Then something changed. The more time I spent immersing myself in politics, news and the political blogs of others, I realized that being myself is more important than accolades and praise. Expressing myself and discussing the political views that are meaningful to me is more important than shielding myself from differing opinions.
I went back to my roots. What did I know about politics? How could I engage others like me to share their views?
I discovered that there are many conservatives and Republicans who are terrified of engaging in political discussion. They experienced many of the reservations I did in the beginning of my tenure here at BlogHer.
I decided it was my responsibility, my obligation to motivate and encourage others and help them gain the confidence to speak up. Their voices can and will be heard. Everyone is welcome to this exciting discussion.
My goal to empower others to get involved has been an inspiration to me, and a guiding factor in my role as a contributing editor at BlogHer. The road I have traveled since my first post has been long and rocky, but with every bump a lesson has been learned and new discoveries have been made
I realized that my political views have evolved and changed. I've embraced opposing ideas and learned to keep an open mind. I've sparked political interest in my friends, family and colleagues. That in itself is worth more than any praising mark I could ever receive.
Super Tuesday has passed, but the excitement of this political race continues to grow. I find myself looking forward to the news every night, devouring every newspaper, magazine and online media source I can find, and I am overjoyed to participate in the many open thread discussions here at BlogHer.
The knowledge that every vote counts is so powerful, even captivating, and I began to wonder if my mother, grandmother and great-grandmother had ever experienced an election process so compelling and intellectually stimulating. Had they ever had felt the anticipation of the outcome? Had they ever been so eager to participate in changing the direction of this country?
My own mother confessed she hadn't always voted in every election. In her early adult years she voted, but after having children she didn't always make it to the polls. She considered voting to be a man's game, but my father convinced her that her vote is just as important as his.
I'm very grateful to my father because he taught me everything he knew about politics and always encouraged me to read and learn more. I didn't always have this passion, however. As a young girl, I cared more about which Barbie doll had the best clothes than I did about the Trickle Down Theory or the Social Security Collapse.
When I got to high school and enrolled in civics and social studies classes, I craved the knowledge about legislature, the judicial system, the government, the House and Senate, and the Democratic process. My teachers couldn't feed my impressionable mind fast enough. Even now, 11 years later, there is still so much to learn.
Looking back, it disappoints me that every political science teacher I've had in my educational years are men. I cherish my political education, but my male educators often conveyed male-dominated political messages and I wonder if this was the reason my own mother didn't feel compelled to vote all the time. Was
