John Cashon
I am a writer and historian from western Kentucky trying to make sense of politics in the United States today. My family has lived in the Jackson Purchase area of Kentucky since 1824, so I guess it can be said that I have deep roots in the southern traditions, and I always try to be a true southern gentleman that uses civility and storytelling to convey my thoughts. I write about American History and Politics while trying to understand the political divide in the United States and in my area of Paducah, Kentucky.
I have been working closely with the Coffee Party because they share my beliefs in civility, compromise, and most of all common sense in our government to try to heal the divisions that have been created from the political gamesmanship being employed in the United States.
ESSAY
I have always kept up with politics and American civics. Growing up, I heard stories about John F. Kennedy from my parents and what his loss meant to them, so I learned early what it took to be a good politician from my parents standards.
I moved from my hometown of Paducah, Kentucky to Orlando, Florida on September 11, 2001 and lived there until 2008. When I returned, I noticed something was very different with my friends and many of the people from my area. They appeared to hate Democrats.
This was odd to me because this was never the case before I left. While listening to my friend's arguments why I should convert right away to the Republican Party, I noticed they were quoting the talking points from FOX News, Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck. While I had noticed in Florida that more and more people were listening to these news sources, I never would have thought it would have changed at home to the degree it did.
The history teacher in me could not let this go, and I did the best I could do to instruct my friends to the proper history, but to no avail, I was unsuccessful. They had become radically obsessed with hating President Obama and anything Democrat.
At this time, I saw the Coffee Party on the internet and thought that this might be a better course for me to put my efforts. At this time, I had left my job because of an illness so I decided to become a full time writer.
I began working and writing with Tabitha Justice with the Citizens for media reform group and I learned that I had a lot in common with the Coffee Party, because we were fighting for the same causes and injustices.
Lately, I have been working with the Scoop.it pages and the Coffee Party Originals page. It is very important to me making sure that the news that is being read is factual and not full of partisan spin.
In the years since I have returned to Kentucky, I have found that my friends and the community are still unable to accept that my liberal progressive ideals have had a long history in the United States, and I have made it my personal mission to expose the untruths they, and the nation, have been fed and set everything right again.
Here is something that I wrote that gives an idea about my beliefs, "I have learned to accept the fact that most of my friends are Republicans, and I wouldn’t change a thing. I am proud to call them my friends and perhaps that is what our country needs the most, patience for each other and possibly, a pride in the fact that we are all Americans even if we have differences."
I believe the Coffee Party can help set things right again, and I will do whatever I can to further that cause.
Link to John's blog - John Cashon's Musings
