This is a cautionary tale for the youngest members of Daily Kos. Don't be like me and wait until it is too late to get actively involved. I'm 72 years old with serious health issues that severely limit my ability to fight back against those in power who are devastating the country I love. I wish I could be leading a protest march on Washington right now instead of sitting at my computer! Learn from my regrets.
When I was a very young child I didn't understand why my daddy, a brakeman on the D&H Railroad, spent so much time working for something called The Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen. It wasn't until after he almost lost his life working in unsafe conditions that I began to understand his passionate involvement. Now I understand the importance unions play in our society.
When I was in grade school and told to stand, put my hand over my heart, and pledge allegiance to the cloth with those red and white stripes and blue stars, I didn't really pay attention my words. I was just doing what everyone else in my class did. I wish my teachers had made me memorize the words on the Statue of Liberty. In junior high and high school when my Social Studies teachers taught lessons about Democracy, the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, government, etc. I wish I had paid more attention. I wish someone, anyone, would have shaken some sense into my head and made me realize what a privilege it is to be able to vote and elect leaders in a free country where we, the people, believe in justice, equal rights, religious freedom, freedom of speech and the right to assemble peacefully.
When I watch the nightly news I ponder what it would feel like to live as a refugee in a third world, war-torn country with no rights, no freedom, and no hope. Recently I've thought a lot about how my life would be different if I'd been born in Baltimore around 1995 with dark skin and lived in the same conditions as those who are protesting police brutality. I've always had a roof over my head and enough to eat. I went to public school and a state university and received an affordable education which I simply took for granted as my right. I am ashamed for not comprehending that my white privilege gave me advantages that others in my country did not have.
I wish I'd been actively involved when all my sister were fighting for equal pay, better job opportunities, and the right to decide when or if to procreate, but I was too busy raising my son and going back to school, and building my career as a teacher.
The same goes for the Vietnam era and the civil rights movement, Those historic events went by and I was oblivious to their importance. When Reagan was deregulating big businesses and creating the doctrine of trickle down economics, I took no notice. Politics was something that happened in Washington and it had nothing to do with me. Besides, I'm just one person - nothing I could do would make a difference.
Then came George W. Bush and Dick Chaney. September 11th was the event that signaled the beginning of my awakening. Suddenly we were involved in another very long expensive war going after WMD's that had nothing to do with 9/11. The stock market declined, the bubble burst, and the economy crashed. I Lost my teaching job after 25 years of service, my home had to be sold at a loss because I could no longer afford the payments, and a huge chunk of my retirement savings went up in smoke. That caught my attention. Finally my eyes were opened.
I look around at the problems we face: rapidly increasing poverty and a disappearing middle class, income inequality like never before in history, climate change, crumbling infrastructure, weak economy and lack of jobs that pay a living wage, our educational system failing and falling behind other industrialized countries, terrorists, drug addiction, gun violence, immigration in need of reform, and dark money buying political favors.
At first glance those problems might look insurmountable, but they aren't. We are Americans and we can move mountains! We've done it before and we can do it again. It may be too late for me to make much of a difference, but that won't stop me from trying. I pass the torch to you who are younger. I challenge you to unite the poor and the middle class, male and female, black, white, Hispanic, religious believers, agnostics, atheists, gays, lesbians, bisexuals, transgenders, conservatives and liberals. No matter which of those groups we identify with, we are Americans first and foremost. Even the wealthy 1% can change and become less greedy.
You must convince huge numbers of citizens who are dealing with the struggles of day to day life, trying to keep from drowning in debt, to get involved. That will not be an easy task. However, without their help there is no hope. It will take a massive majority of good decent citizen's to present a united organized front. It is time to confront our leaders and let them know that they will stay in power only if they work together for the good of all Americans and not just the wealthy. You will have to energize this group with marches, speeches, and rallies. They must be encourage to hound their representatives in congress until they see improvement. They must write letters to editors and spread the word of events on social media. Peaceful, nonviolent revolution is needed and you must be relentless in your quest for change. If I could turn back the clock, I would be right by your side. However, you don't need me. You must have enough faith in yourselves to rise to this challenge. You can do this!
