I feel hopeful, too

I read this over at Democratic Underground, and feel compelled to re-post it here.

I thought my protesting days were over. I thought by this age, I would have settled into the mundane activities of a county party official and there would be little, if any occasion to take to the streets like I did in my youth.

And boy did I ever.

I slept on the college presidents lawn for the right to print the word "fuck" in the campus newspaper.

I marched for civil rights.I stood in the campus square with a bullhorn to protest the Viet Nam war.

I though we had won when Nixon left the White House in disgrace. When Blacks and Hispanics could vote without literacy tests or poll taxes I didn't think there was anything left to fight for. When the last helicopter left the roof of the embassy in Saigon, it was time for me to "grow up" and start thinking about raising a family and supporting them with a good paying job and carving out my own piece of the great American Pie.

When I was standing with the other members of the vigil last night it dawned on me that standing for democracy isn't a once-in-a-lifetime thing. It's never ending. And I'm never too old, too tired, too cynical or too rich or poor to stand on a street corner and tell the world it needs to change.

When I looked at all the pictures on DU, my heart pounded with pride because, once again, I was a part of something much bigger than myself. And do you know what else I see in those pictures? I see kids standing side-by-side with their parents. I see the next generation of activists who will stand for our country.

I feel hopeful this morning.