GRANDMA, POLITICS AND THE BROOKLYN BRIDGE

I grew up in a large family of aunts, uncles and many cousins.  Very often the whole family congregated at my grandmother's home where she "ruled" over all of us.

When we would come together, more often than not conversation would turn to politics.

As children, my cousins and I would stop whatever we were doing to watch and listen to the adult discussion and behavior especially when they were talking "politics." They would raise their voices, sometimes get up from the chairs they were sitting in or push themselves away from the table so hard they spilled coffee or soup as the case might be.

Sometimes people would get angry and rise their voices and get very red in the face. Sometimes they shouted at each other. When the voices were especially loud, someone would shout something that made grandma raise up out of her chair and yell, "You believe that and I'll sell you the Brooklyn Bridge!"

As a child I was intrigued that my grandmother owned a bridge.

During this month of September 2015 I have been thinking a lot about my family here and abroad.I have been thinking too about my grandmother and her ability to get even ill tempered, uninformed but passionate members of the family to take a minute to quiet down and think.

When the candidates running for office make uninformed promises that are ill tempered, and worse yet, could do real harm to program and services people need, it is time for voters to tell the candidates, in the words of my grandmother, "You believe that and we'll sell you the Brooklyn Bridge!"