By By Kerry Whipple Bean
publisher
Miranda Anderson can’t yet vote, but she and other Brewton teenagers got involved in politics at a grass-roots level last week.
Anderson, her mother, sister and two friends attended a “tea party” Wednesday in Fort Walton Beach, Fla., one of thousands of similar events across the country designed to protest economic policies such as the financial bailout for banks and other industries.
Anderson and Teralyn Moore, both 16 and students at T.R. Miller High School, and Belle Smith and Candice Moore, both students at Brewton Middle School, carried hand-lettered signs to the event.
Anderson said she appreciated the opportunity participants had to exercise their right to free speech.
Anderson, who considers herself Libertarian like her mother, Reina, but she enjoys learning about other viewpoints through debates at home, in the classroom and with friends.
One of her closest friends, in fact, identifies as a Democrat, and she said their discussions during the presidential race last year opened both of their eyes to the other side’s opinions.
Anderson said she is considering a career in politics.
Anderson estimated about 400 to 500 people attended the Fort Walton Beach tea party. “I was glad to be part of it,” she said.
Brewton also hosted a tea party Wednesday at the Escambia County Courthouse, organizer Danny Joyner said, but turnout was small.