Isms: Views on life in rural America

One of my favorite classes, besides English and journalism, was social studies. I’m certain my enthusiasm for understanding the intricacies of government stemmed from my elementary teacher, Mrs. Hajny. Our elementary classes voted in a mock election in 1972. Our results didn’t mirror the national election, which resulted in Richard Nixon receiving 60.7% of the popular vote, sailing to a landslide win over George McGovern. At school, the results were closer to a 50-50 split, and class discussions about voting revealed that even if our best friend didn’t vote the same way, we would still be frie...