Amanda: I was born and raised in Seattle, home of the 1919 General Strike (65,000) and the 1999 WTO protests (40,000). I earned my bachelors degree from the very Marxist Evergreen State College. I think of myself as an Independent, but I voted for Democrats at least 90 percent of the time. I could never understand how couples like James Carville and Mary Matalin could make it work. Then I met Devin… I am also 8 years out from killing my TV, and 10 years working in government. Where once I thought we needed Big Government to balance out Big Business, now I can see Big Government and Big Business are besties, and We The (little) People best watch out. Where once I thought government leaders are just doing their best to help us the best way they know how, now I realize, Virginia, there really is not a Santa Claus. But I know Jesus is real, and that is everything.
Devin: I was born in Charlottesville, Virginia and raised in Greenville, South Carolina. I went to public schools. Integration happened when I was in the first grade. My class went from 20 children to 40, overnight. My class was the first to graduate having been integrated for all 12 grades. In spite of being in the Deep South, racism was, at least at my schools, a non-issue. Politically, I was on the fence, “center-right,” a “moderate,” “fiscally conservative, socially liberal” for most of my life. Pro-choice. Then, George W. Bush happened, followed by Barrack Obama. That was it for me. Now I am full-throated CONSERVATIVE. Pro-LIFE. I love God. I love Jesus Christ. I love the Holy Spirit. With ALL that I have. I am broken. I am forgiven. Amanda is a gift from God.
The Gatherer is a reference to the unknown author of the Book of Ecclesiastes.
The thing that has been is that which shall be; and that which has been done is that which shall be done; and there is nothing new under the sun.
Ecclesiastes 1:9.