Tuesday, January 30, 2007

Stuck in the Wayback Machine, Pt. II


Covering the Iraq war protest in Washington this weekend (were you aware there was an Iraq war protest this weekend in Washington?).
Expecting a healthy turnout of idealistic youths, I was surprised to find that the crowd was comprised predominantly of middle-aged '60s throwbacks looking to recapture the glory days of the jarring folk music, campus occupations, and general social chaos that accompanied the Vietnam War. When the Raging Grannies showed up, it was hard to distinguish them from the rest of the crowd.

What a disappointment. Nothing against the old folks, but they simply can’t match the energy of a young crowd of college kids unencumbered by work responsibilities or age-related health problems. The whole rally was flat, dispirited, and even boring. I felt especially sorry for the speakers: it’s hard to rile up a crowd when so many attendees are afraid to stray too far from the porta-potties.
Hmm . . . don't they remind you of another bunch of ageing idealists, forever reliving the 'sixties?

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