Ashbaugh: How a Latino Democrat and a Black Republican opened a white, middle-aged woman’s eyes
By Erin Ashbaugh | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice
“I’m a Republican.” he said.
“Ohhhh, I never pegged you to be that. I don’t think we can be friends anymore,” I laughed, only half-kidding. I was what one would consider a “Far Left” Democrat living in Boulder, CO when I said this, and Republicans were “the enemy.”
The Republican friend of mine who I so quickly judged, as we reconnected after years of not seeing each other, was Lavelle Lewis, a football and basketball player who I’d cheered for during our years at IHS in Rochester, NY. After a couple of cups of coffee, I realized that as liberal as I was, Lavelle and I weren’t so different.
Believe it or not, our values, morals, and political perspectives were rooted in similar ideals, just with different app...