Nevada News Group political columnist to speak at Democratic tele-luncheon

Nevada News Group columnist Jeanette Strong, whose award winning political commentaries appear bi-weekly in the Lahontan Valley News and online on the Nevada Appeal website, will be the featured speaker at Monday's Carson City Democratic tele-luncheon. Her remarks will be teleconferenced from her home in Fallon.

In her presentation, Jeanette will recount her lifelong political odyssey from right to left, and how she found her way into the role of progressive pundit. She will read excerpts from select columns that have merited award recognition from the Nevada Press Association, including a 2nd place in this year's “Local non-staff column” category.

In announcing that award, the judges commented, “Wonderfully written, very clear opinion pieces illustrated with appropriate facts and anecdotes. Very strong entry.” Audience questions and comments will be welcomed.

In her first “By the Way” column, published in the Lahontan Valley News on Sunday, June 28, 2009, Jeanette introduced herself with the following autobiographical sketch:

“Let me introduce myself:

Hi. Many of you know who I am, from meeting me or reading something I wrote. You know a little about what I believe, but since I will be covering this space for Glen for awhile, I thought I’d let you know a little more about myself. Here we go.

I was born on the San Francisco peninsula. When I was 2½, my father started college, so my parents, my baby brother and I moved to Southern California. We lived on the college campus, in a tiny homemade trailer, probably 15 feet long, with no bathroom, one tiny kitchen sink, and one cold water faucet. The whole campus was my playground, and I loved it. We used the bathrooms in the college gymnasium, and took baths in the laundry-shed sinks, but when you’re a toddler, none of that matters. I decided right then that I was going to go to that college when I grew up, and I did, but that comes a little later.

When I turned four, my dad was called to the Korean War, so we moved the little trailer back to the Peninsula, into my grandparents’ backyard. Our toilet was an outside one, attached to the garage like an outhouse. My grandfather grew raspberries and chickens, and I had my cousins to play with. It was like growing up on a small farm. Eventually someone reported our living conditions to the authorities, so we moved to a little apartment, a remodeled bakery, with a large glass display case in the middle of our living area. But, at least we had an indoor toilet.

When I was six, my father came home, and we returned to college. We lived in several places, including a motel, and later a one-bedroom honeymoon cottage; there were three children by then. My father graduated when I was 8½, and we returned home to live in surplus WW II housing. We had two studio apartments, on two floors, and we had to go outside to get from one to the other. When I was nine, we finally got a real house, my first since I was 2½, and that made me very happy.

We moved several more times, and when I left for college, at age 17, on scholarship, I had lived in 17 different physical places, and gone to seven elementary schools and two high schools. I mention all this because when people talk about poverty, or desperate conditions, I know what that means. Sometimes my parents went without food, although we children never did. I was the oldest child, and I wore hand-me-downs. It was always a “hopeful” poverty, since we were working toward a goal, but it was still poverty. I know what a little help at just the right time means. I haven’t forgotten that lesson.

I was born and raised a Republican. I was taught that FDR was the worst thing that had ever happened to this country, and that Democrats wanted big government to control everything. I was taught that “real” Americans made it on their own. However, as I grew up, I realized that what I had been taught about Republican ideals - smaller government, fiscal responsibility, individual rights - was far from what was being practiced. I am a Christian, and I discovered that my values - that people are more important than profit, that we are called to care for the weak, hungry, and helpless, and that sometimes we just can’t do it alone - fit the Democratic Party much better than the Republican. Finally, after the 2000 election, I changed my party registration. I have a lot of good friends who are Republicans, and they are wonderful people, but from what I have seen over the years, the party has become so corrupted from its original goals, Lincoln would never recognize it, and Eisenhower would be considered a socialist. The Democratic Party isn’t perfect, either, but I see a concern for real people that is missing from the Republicans, and that is crucial to me.

We are all shaped by our experiences. They make us who we are. For good or bad, this is how mine have shaped me. There is much more to my life, of course, but for those who might wonder why I believe what I do, and why I write what I write, this may provide a few answers. Whether you agree or not, I hope at least you understand a little better.”

Sponsored by the Democratic Men's Committee, this event is scheduled for noon on Monday, September 28th, and will be held online via Zoom teleconference due to the restricted availability of in-person venues. Those wishing to be on distribution for these Zoom links can email Rich Dunn, Men's Committee Events Coordinator, at richdunn@aol.com.