I’m 77 years old and the only benefit of old age that I have noticed is perspective. Old people have seen enough stuff to be able to put things into proper perspective.
For example, the biggest horror of my teenage years was Viet Nam. More than 40,000 Americans died in Viet Nam. More than 5,000 subsequently died from wounds they received in Viet Nam. More than 1,000 were missing in action, captured, or declared dead. In total, at least 50,000 young Americans died as a direct result of that war. Thousands of Americans protested the war, but it still kept raging on year after year.
Then, on May 4th 1970 the National Guard shot and killed four students who were protesting the war at Kent State University. Their tragic deaths caused protests to grow much louder, as the once quiet average American now joined in the protest. It wasn’t just the hippies protesting the war, anymore. The average American got involved and pretty soon, America got out of Viet Nam.
The average American is a lot more powerful than they think. They just don’t stop to think about just how many of them there are, and the strength they have in numbers.
On January 7th, an I.C.E. agent murdered Renee Nichole Good. It looks, to me, like that is going to be the spark that will once again unite the awesome power of the average American. I sure hope so. It would be a fitting tribute to an average American who selflessly put herself in harm’s way to try to protect the rights of her neighbors. Renee Good gave all. Let’s all give what we can to honor her, and someday, when we’re successful, we will have a holiday to celebrate her life.
Peace & Love, and all of the above,
Earl
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