Kimberly Fobbs on "Why Politics?"

Why Politics?

"What made you decide to go into politics?" This is the question I'm most often asked when I introduce myself as the nominee for representative to people I meet in House District 80 covering parts of Broken Arrow, Bixby, South Tulsa & Glenpool.

In ten seconds or less, I've found the time inadequate to express the full depth of "WHY?", when this path subjects you to derision, scorn or even pity. I believe I made the step into Public Service, not Politics for the future of families much like my own.

In my early forties, I'm in that special in-between group, not quite a baby boomer, and yet I see my mother and grandmother, both retired, independent, and living with disabilities who continue to serve their communities through church and volunteering. At 90, my grandmother in Ohio, who has never driven a car, continues to deliver meals on wheels to those she describes as "The Elderly" and won't hear of slowing down. So why not serve?

We all have crossroads in our lives. Some we recognize immediately and some we don't. The path to elected office was neither straight nor narrow, but the eyes of young children, already without hope, without benefit of a warm reassuring hug that they could lay their heads in a safe warm home compelled me to action.

Years ago, as a Loaned Executive for the Tulsa Area United Way, I'll never forget the tour we received through various agencies and shelters to see firsthand the need for which we would champion.

Asked to dress in our business best, I've never forgotten the shame I felt entering the world of homeless children at the shelter. Some had tattered clothes and rag dolls, if they had them at all, long overused. As the guide explained what would happen, a little girl grabbed the hem of my dress and hugged me and said what a pretty lady I was. In that moment, something shifted in my heart and I felt ashamed to think the dress I wore, was a bag of groceries, or even a light bill to this family.

In her circumstances, who would see to it that she went to college, that she had healthcare, and that she had a support system to ensure all her dreams could be fulfilled? Now, years later, I'm a wife and mother blessed with healthy, well-educated children.

Who will be the voice to represent the voiceless? Referencing the 'Status of Women in Oklahoma' by the Institute for Women's policy research, I'm saddened that the very core of Oklahoma's future, our families, is in crisis.

In terms of median earnings, lack of healthcare for children, high women and minority incarceration rates, and the small percentage of women elected in Oklahoma, we rank woefully at best. These facts are a precursor to determining our fate and that of our future economy and growth. Those fortunate enough to graduate college are leaving our state and our tax base is eroding.

Rhetorically speaking, what will our workforce look like 10 to 20 years from now, when unhealthy, undereducated children, become unhealthy, undereducated adults? Who wins then?

A deeper look into the numbers shows the growing crisis we face. Broken Arrow and Bixby have some of the finest schools for example and are leaders in our area, yet everywhere I go, I meet wonderful, gray-haired, loving grannies who struggle with Medicare and Social Security while raising their grandchildren due to the epidemic of meth and crime coming to our doorsteps.

Open your eyes, the next time you're in the grocery store or visiting your child's school, ask the mothers of mothers, did they expect this to happen? It's time we hear the voiceless and ensure our Oklahoma Legislature represents the changing kaleidoscope of Oklahoma families and children. I'm left with the profound words of Presidents Ronald Reagan and John F. Kennedy Jr. who guide me....

"The house we hope to build is not for my generation but for yours. It is your future that matters. And I hope that when you are my age, you will be able to say as I have been able to say: We lived in freedom. We lived lives that were a statement, not an apology." - Ronald Reagan

"If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich. - John F. Kennedy

"The ignorance of one voter in a democracy impairs the security of all." - John F. Kennedy

In these quotes is my answer to “Why Politics, Why public service?” There are many heated issues in our State and National dialog that I hope to champion by being elected in November, but in my opinion none more important than our very existence. It's time for new energy, effective leadership and moral clarity. The question we must ask ourselves is how much longer can we afford to NOT get involved?

Kimberly Fobbs - Candidate for Oklahoma House District 80