Reply #63: I'm mad.

[troubleinwinter]

I was a teen growing up in Berkeley in the 60s. I saw my city occupied by the National Guard and bivouacked on the edge of town for a week... military tanks rolling down our streets. Peace demonstrators corralled, compressed and contained by NG on university campus and then teargassed by military helicopters. I saw friends/demonstrators horribly beaten by state police. One shot to death.

We, from the 60s are still here. Yes, still fighting.

I do not take the comments by Obama lightly or well.

I have been a member of The Gray Panthers, working against ageism.

I worked on a very difficult two year local political project with people 70s-90s. We won, by the strength and dedication of the elders. The courage, strength, wisdom and dedication of the elders in the face of the 'powers that be' while fighting arthritis, heart troubles, loss of spouse, etc. was a true lesson to me.

I heard the stories of their lives. They had done what had been asked of them: worked, payed taxes, abided by laws. Most of these elder women had never learned to drive. You should have seen them speak out to the 'powers'. They won. Took 2 years, some died along the way.

I belong to an organization of 200+ western history enthusiasts/scholars, who meet monthly. I am by far the youngest, at 56. 98% are 65-91. A group of interesting and interested people.

I haven't had much opinion one way or another about Obama... but I have spent 25 years fighting ageism, and he is skirting close to it. I will no more abide an ageist than a racist. I am not happy at all.

I reckon nobody will read this post, but I am mad. I don't want to be marginalized because I worked in the 60s and still do, and I sure as shit don't want our elders (some of the smartest people I know) discounted or marginalized.

Here is a photo of my husband at a draft/war protest sit-in at the Oakland Induction Center in 1997, where Joan Biaz was arrested.



We should be CALLED UPON, not discarded.