Alyassin for Mayor

Last Sunday, I was busy paying bills--that grim process--when my doorbell rang. A young man stood at the door. He looked like someone who would be selling chocolate bars or magazines to benefit some wholesome charity, and that was the pitch for which I was preparing. "Hello", he said, "I'm Hassan Alyassin, and I'm running for mayor of Pomona. May I tell you about my seven-point program for improving the city?" "You're running for what?", I asked, "How old are you?" "I'm twenty-four", he replied. "And your experience?" I asked. "I graduated from UC Santa Cruz with my degree in biology and I'm applying to Western University for medical school. Do you know who Dennis Kucinich is? He's my inspiration. If we want things to change, we are the ones who have to change them." I read Hassan's seven-point program. I agreed with some of his points and we had a polite and informed exchange about one of the ones with which I disagreed. I asked if he had any staff - a publicity person, perhaps? and he said that he did, but she had gone home about an hour earlier because she was hungry. I ended up giving Hassan ten bucks for his campaign, even though, being in the midst of paying bills, I knew the state of my disposable income. He is the first candidate to have filed with the city, but he will certainly not be the last. The others will be better known, better qualified, and better funded. Hassan, like his role model Dennis Kucinich, will probably end up at the bottom of the heap. Nonetheless, for a few minutes on Sunday afternoon I had the feeling that democracy really could work if we all got behind it, and, just like they told me in fifth grade, any of us could grow up to be president of the United States. Or at least mayor of Pomona, California.