This Blogger's Passion

Much of politics is standing up for what you believe in. Standing up when the sun is shining, the clouds are grey and foreboding, or even in the head-pounding hailstorm. Watching those publicly involved in this process for years, that is one of the first lessons I quickly learned.

So now it seems as if my time has come to stand up and wait for the weather to roll in. The new RogersWatch Blog has gotten folks talking on both sides of the aisle, and as usual, the press isn't far behind. Tomorrow morning will bring a story about the blog, and a couple comments provided by myself. It was a scary step, to publicly out myself as a blogger for the first time. I thought more than once about not doing it, but I knew that it would happen sooner or later, and here it is.

I am someone who has dedicated my life to serving those who have no voice and standing up for what I believe in. As a blogger, as a citizen, as someone who cares about others, I feel an obligation to keep speaking up when I see someone wronged, or when there's another candidate/official championing a cause that deserves recognition. Standing up for my writing as a blogger, even without the mask of anonymity that blogging provides, is an act of civil disobedience. It started with the Boston Tea Party, On Walden Pond, the Suffragettes, Edward R. Murrow and the anti-McCarthy movement, the conscientious objectors of Vietnam, and now it comes to people like me, those who blog.

Within the community of bloggers, there's a wide spectrum of who we are and what motivates us. Personally, I feel that I can't be an effective voice of change if I sit back and always write behind a pseudonym. The very essence of who I am wills me to get up, get out and speak up, in all facets.

I accept that for each thing that I believe in, many more will disagree with it and some may even personally attack me for my beliefs. As a blogger, I believe in and uphold the right of Free Speech. I exercise it every time I disagree with an action or a statement made by someone in government. It's my right, just as it is their right to say what they believe in. It's a vital part of what keeps our country so incredible.

It's still difficult to take that next step, opening yourself up to criticism and becoming readily available as a poster-child for everything that a group or a person stands against. It's already happened to me, both as a blogger and as someone who is active politically, and regardless of the thickness of your skin, it's never pleasant.

Despite that, I will continue to stay true to myself to the public and the people who deserve tireless advocators on their behalf. I know that my community, both online and off, are full of many like-minded individuals, and that gives me pride and hope. We may not always agree on the issues, but as long as we're staying true to ourselves and working for those who need us the most, then we must continue to speak up and out, regardless of the reception we may receive.