A few days before Democratic Party delegate Kristie Helms flew down to Charlotte, N.C. for the convention, she and her wife sat down with JP Patch at The Dogwood to talk about why she got into politics and her hopes for the convention.
Helms isn't related to me, but she is a fellow southerner. She grew up in a small town in Kentucky while I was raised in a small town in North Carolina.
Helms got into politics when the 2004 Democratic National Convention came to Boston. She served as a "Beantown Buddy" for her home state's delegation.
Since then she's become active with Ward 19 Democratic Committee, starting her involvement at the same time as now-Senator Sonia Chang-Díaz. She worked for campaigns including those of Deval Patrick for governor, Willie Mae Allen for Sixth Suffolk State Representative and Ayanna Pressley for City Council. Lately she's been knocking on a lot of doors for Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren.
"It's a great way to get to know your neighbors," Helms said of canvassing.
It was a natural progression for her to become a delegate to this year's DNC, as the marketing professional recounts on her Website. It boiled down, she said, to caring and, crucially, "to showing up."
One of Helms' goals for the convention was to make sure the Democrats added a pro same-sex marriage plank to the party platform.
"It's so normal in JP," said Helms, who was getting ready to have dinner with her wife, Kathryn Nettles. The two married June 15, 2007 and live on Florian Street in Roslindale, just outside JP. "The Democratic Party's platform is completely in line with Jamaica Plain."
She can consider that mission accomplished, as the party did include support for marriage equality in this year's platform.
You can read about Helms' adventures in Charlotte on her Web site or via Twitter @KristieHelms.
Joshua Muncey
4:52 pm on Friday, September 7, 2012
Way to represent JP/Rosi at the DNC, Kristie!!!! Woot woot!
Arborway
9:48 pm on Friday, September 7, 2012
Thanks for your involvement Kristie. On this issue I feel well represented by you. I think it's worth mentioning though, that not all of JP is on board with all the Denocratic Party does, especially in it current incarnation. There is a wider range of political position in JP than might be apparent. In particular, the current "eat the rich" plank and what appears to be deliberate divide and concur populism makes me and at least a handful of other JP friends very uncomfortable. It is way too much a "winner take all" Chicago ward politics approach for me. And "war on women"? High retoric indeed...not helpful though in that it distorts the real options. At this point scare tactics, regardless of who employs them, are not helpful.
Can't we just have Bill Clinton back please!? In the mean time, I'm glad you're involved.