Baron's essay emphasizes political activity, but also calls people to pay attention to local issues and encourages policy debate. Mike's essay reads like a primer on U.S. Civics-- emphasizing knowledge and the purpose and processes of politics over political activity per se.
My essay is more similar to Mike's in focusing on knowing what we're doing in politics more than activity for its own sake. Here's part of what I wrote:
Over and above politics, my wife Tonia and I want to teach our kids to have a coherent Christian worldview of government: When is it appropriate to use government as a means to various ends? In what context is it okay for the government to take money from some people in order to give it to others? (When one child takes a toy from another, I often half-joke with them that they can't do that since “you're not the government”.) When should we get the government to prevent people from doing something - or to force them to do something else? Under what conditions should our country attack another country?...
The most poignant moment in the campaign was when one of my sons asked if I would win. I said probably not. He asked if I would finish second. Again, I said probably not - that I'd probably lose by a lot. I could see the puzzled look on his face, because he usually sees me being “successful”. It was a great opportunity for me to convey the crucial idea that you have to do the right thing, even if you don't think that you'll win.
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