Anthony Woods is a West Point graduate who ran for Congress. Now, that's something we haven't seen before, isn't it? (If you're wondering, the election was on the first and he lost.) But what's really amazing about him, is his story. He was raised by a single mother in a household that didn't have the money for good health care and education. But he graduated with honours in high school and got into West Point. There, he was an athlete. And a political and economic studies double major. And a computer science engineering degree. And a representative on the cadet honour committee and commander of summer training for the imcoming sophomore class. (Oi.Vey.) Soon he was deployed (twice). After returning from his second deployment, he was appointed to teach at Westpoint, which meant that he needed a higher degree. So he went to Harvard. There, he volunteered to help low-income minorities applying to college and with Habitat for Humanity in New Orleans. He also co-lead a team through HfH's Bike & Build, in which his team raised over $130,000, built homes in five states, and biked from North Carolina to San Diego, California. Now you're thinking about how much of an asset he is to the army, right? And how proud they must be of him. ERRRRR. Wrong. He was discharged. Why? He's gay. And the United States Army seems to have a huge fucking problem with that. After being discharged, the Army demanded that he reimburse them for $35,000 in tuition. And now he is campaigning for what is my favourite part of prograssive politics. He wants those in DC to have expirience in what they support, because right now it's mainly a bunch of straight people who've had health care and a stable economic situation for most of their life. He's been through not having health care, and most of DC politicians do not. He's been through the silence that is Don't Ask, Don't Tell, and no one in Washington is doing enough to end it.
