This is Molly reporting here from Fargo, North Dakota for my first ever campaign. During my sophomore year of college (aka last year…) I was taken on as an intern with the Campus Choices Program for the Feminist Majority Foundation. Awaiting my quickly approaching start date, I received a phone call in early May with an opportunity I couldn’t refuse.
duVergne Gaines was asking me to be a part of the ND Students Voting No on 3 campaign. In short, I was being recruited to help expose a deceitful measure on the ballot for North Dakota’s June 12 primary election. Measure 3 claims to guarantee religious liberties without the burden of government intervention. In reality, this measure will open doors for violence and discrimination against all women.
As a journalism and political science major at Iowa State University, and a feminist of course, fighting this measure is something that I strongly believe in. All women should have access to birth control without the burden of religious barriers. And no woman should live in fear of losing her job if she becomes pregnant out of wedlock. What we do with our lives is our own choice. Period.
Still a newbie to the campaigning world, I am quickly learning that communication and networking is the most important aspect. Phone calls, leaflets and posters all play an important role in the campaigning process. I just didn’t realize how nerve-wracking and disappointing phone calls can be. It is very different being on the giving rather than the receiving end of a campaign call. So the next time you receive a phone call from someone asking you to give their campaign the time of day…hear the poor kid out. It’s just something that has got to be done, my friend.
Here in North Dakota, a place I never imagined myself to be, I have met some pretty incredible people who I now proudly consider friends. Stepping off the plane a few days ago, I had no idea what to expect. Now, I wouldn’t want to be working with anyone else. The acceptance, trust and common beliefs I find in these women is something I had only hoped for. My nerves are no longer the anxiety of meeting new people, but instead the excitement of the campaigning ahead.
By June 12 I will have experienced things very few will ever get to do. I am looking forward to the challenges and the triumphs that will continue to shape who I am and change where I want to be. Los Angeles will definitely have a lot to live up to when I arrive!
Learn more about North Dakota’s Measure 3 and what you can do to help stop it.
Great blog, Molly!