An Imperfect Union brings together two people on opposite sides of an issue to work on a project in their community. Watch full episodes on Facebook Watch every Wednesday at 8pm ET/5pm PT.
Michael
Mike Golash, 75, last voted for Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964.
“I was 21 years old, I was a little naïve, so I voted,” Mike said. “After that I learned my lesson and I’ve never voted since. That’s 54 years, 54 years.”
Originally from upstate New York, Mike became active in the civil rights movement while at Columbia University during the Vietnam war. Mike, a long-time political activist, calls himself a communist and said our country needs a fundamental change, a revolution.
“The political elections are not run by the voters themselves, they’re run by very rich people who basically decide who the candidates are going to be and through the use of money and TV, radio commercials, etc., etc., they pretty much limit down the choices to very wealthy people, so the working class as a whole has no real say in who the candidates will be. So essentially they have a set choice between two bosses, two capitalists, two very rich people or people backed very rich people. I don’t really want to participate in that process,” Mike said.
However, on the other side of D.C., a different sentiment pervades.
Gideon
“I understand why some people don’t think voting works,” said Gideon Epstein, a government and politics student at the University of Maryland College Park. “But I think if you don’t turn out to vote you can guarantee your voice is not going to be heard, you guarantee we’re not going to affect change.”
Gideon, 20, first voted in 2016. He works with many campus organizations. He says he’s passionate about voting and getting his peers engaged in the political process by registering them to vote.
“I don’t think voting is a perfect system right now,” Gideon said. “We want our citizen voices to be heard in the country that we live in. I do believe that there are certain things that could be done to make the voices of people even louder.”
The Meeting
Mike and Gideon met for the first time at Blair House, a transitional rehabilitation home for men in D.C., to give out toiletries and warm weather supplies. A spirited debate ensued about voting, political structure and how both men see this country.
"How many of these people here want good paying jobs, but none of them have it because we have politicians that don't provide," Mike said.
Find out how the rest of their conversation unfolds on the full episode of An Imperfect Union.