The movement was not started by us, it goes back many generations.
Many of us who have been activists since the 60s and 70s have had our share of losses.
We make gains, no matter how small by keeping up the fight.
We stand on the shoulders of many great activists from the past.
Here in the US it goes back to folks who we have heard of, but also to many who we never have heard of.
It goes back to Native American tribes, Woman's suffrage, the peace movements from many generations, the environmental movement, and other movements. Believe it or not, these movements are all tied together in one or more ways.
We have to also understand that no changes have been made in society from the top down, they always come from the bottom up.
And no matter how hard we try to get our rights, there will always be people who want to take them away.
There are always times when we feel defeated and want to just give up, but if we want a better future for everyone, we cannot. When I get like this, I think back to a time when there was a labor rally nearby in the freezing cold in February. Pete Seeger came and sand some union songs while playing his banjo. IN THE 10 DEGREE COLD! I thought to myself, "If Pete, at about 80 can be here, so can I." Pete continued his activism until he could not sing or play any more, and he passed on a couple of years ago. He was 94, and had been fighting since at least the 40s and 50s. That is 50-60 years. He never gave up, he just went on singing, protesting, marching, and fighting for what is right.
I think that we can all learn a lot from people like Seeger, and others. We have to keep up their fight, just as they would have, because as Pete used to say, "When the people lead, the leaders follow." We stand on the shoulders of our ancestors. We need to learn about them, and their struggles, many of which were greater than our own, and keep on, keeping on.
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