Sadly, I relate to Homer many times throughout the day or week or month. Sometimes there’s so much going on that doing things that are hard just doesn’t seem worth doing. Homer gets laughs for being a dumb, lovable oaf. But, he’s also a cautionary tale that if I’m not careful with apathy I may very well end up a pudgy, donut-loving, beer-drinking, yellow-bellied, TV-addicted caricature of myself getting laughs for being a lovable oaf with four fingers. 

As an NLC fellow this year and one of few North County residents in my fellows’ class, I have made it my mission to make North County more progressive. Having grown up in Escondido and experienced changing demographics, lack of representation and resources, and anti-immigrant efforts in recent years, I am compelled to be a change agent. I’ve been a volunteer community organizer for about 10 years and involved with social justice efforts statewide and nationally. But at the end of the day, my heart belongs at home, in my community.

 It’s an election year, and if you’ve heard any political debates or sound bites at all, you’ve probably noticed that discourse at the local, state and national levels is extremely negative. Mud is flying everywhere! It’s coming from the right and from the left. They’re hitting opposite sides, the middle and even their own side.