When you go to local events, is there a lot of grey hair?

It's fine if the linked thread languishes and the thing is, it's a description of a local, face to face event, and the thing is, there were a lot of older folks coming out to see the national heroes on their barnstorming tour. (Maybe even the term "barnstorming" is a big clue :evilgrin: )

The first time I went and saw Cindy Sheehan and Sean Penn and Norman Solomon, as people were waiting out front to get in, I walked past a 20-Something on a cellphone saying, "There's a lot of OLD people here."

Last night Sean Penn wasn't on the bill, but there was a decent -- if Boom-heavy-- crowd out front. Chatting with the man behind us about Arnold Schwarzenegger destroying the State and the People of Kaleefoyna........ then the man in front of us says,

"This is a different demographic than I might have thought............"

Yes-- it's a low-key statement. The comment of a somewhat straight-laced, fit, professional, middle-aged man coming out to an event and being surprised to be surrounded by a crowd of somewhat straight-laced, fit, professional, middle-aged people.

:rofl:


The message that came through loud and clear at the event was (Cindy Sheehan saying) that we need to connect directly with people in countries all over the world. Presumably that includes our own.

:thumbsup:





http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x588856

It's a great thing for me to see just how many of the Old Guard feel moved once again to take up the anti-war and get-rid-of-a-lousy-president cause. We/they have the experience, and that's a good thing.

But once again, it's young people who are being sent off to be killed and maimed in a senseless war, and we have wondered where their representatives are in the protests. There have always been some, but not large numbers. It's taken them awhile to wake up, especially as there is no draft and Bush keeps nattering on about the "volunteer" army.

So I'm always encouraged when I see a contingent of college kids show up, and at our last peace march a few weeks ago there were 200 students who bicycled out from the University to join us.

The young ones are needed, not for their experience (which they mostly still need to acquire) but for the different kind of energy they bring to the project.

Hekate

"It's taken them awhile to wake up, especially as there is no draft and Bush keeps nattering on about the "volunteer" army."

And lack of Youth Culture?

lol

:)

and some younger even. And a minority of us ancient of days!

and that was in Lawrence, Ks, a college town. Maybe 1600 people in the march, 800 of them students. Out of a campus population of 20,000 that's a pretty poor showing, but the non-student population is 60,000 so I guess our showing was even worse.

It was my first march, and it was a lot of fun!

I was the one carrying the big red, white and blue peace flag. It was windy but a great march and a much better turnout than lasy year's.

Yes, every leftover "hippie" is there....but there are darn few of
those "leftovers" these days. And for every one of them, there's someone
young enough to be their grandchild, fervent and full of that vigor
so wasted upon the young....

More importantly, both groups are seriously outnumbered by ordinary-looking
people of all ages, from all walks of life.

:hi:

I was the sole representative of the old SDS political activists there. There used to be about fifty of us 1967-1970 or so.

I got a friend of mine from work to show up at an anti-war rally.
She asked where we were meeting up when we got out of our cars.

I told her "Just follow the middle-aged women". She didn't believe me.

When I first joined Dean for America is was SHOCKED by the media's portrayal
of us as "wild-eyed, birkenstock-wearing, granola-eating liberals and
kids in orange hats".

We were MOSTLY older. And some of us were OLD! Many were ex-republicans,
but there were NO birkenstock-wearing, hippies. NONE.

And hardly any youngsters, save for the sons and daughters that we
middle-aged women dragged with us.

They were laughing the hardest, during the film, at old footage of "Tricky Dick," LBJ........

Speaking of which, seeing footage of the last several presidents juxtaposed in different sequences, makes The Chimperor look even more absurd than usual....

While waiting for the start of the March 18 rally in San Francisco, I was sitting on the steps of Justin Herman Plaza near some other folks. A woman sat next to me, started to eat her lunch, and politely asked "Are you with the Gray Panthers?" (pointing to the group next to me who were wearing badges). I said I wasn't, and she calmly stated "I'm a Raging Granny" and showed me her t-shirt.

35 years ago you didn't see anyone who looked over 30 at a protest. Ever.

Right now in my town (a college town for gods sake! Duke) when we've held protests against the war, the college-age/draft-age kids walk right past us, for the most part averting their eyes, on their way to the local watering hole-pizza joint which is near where we hold our protests.

Unbelieveable.

:spray: