Law-abiding citizens and politically active students

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by David Safier

Here are two bits of information which are encouragingly contrary to what is considered common wisdom.

First, with a barely-standing-room-only crowd of something like 2 million people in the Mall during Inauguration, there have been no reports of arrests. I haven't even heard anyone complain about a picked pocket or rowdiness.

Run a mental video of the faces you saw in the crowd. Realize that lots of those people were the invisible citizens of D.C. who live in neighborhoods tourists avoid. What would the decline-and-fall-of-civilization crowd have told you would be the inevitable result of the "uncouth rabble" crowding together like that?

Oh, I forgot to mention how "unpatriotic" non-conservatives are supposed to be. And yet these people came from all over the country and waited for hours to wave American flags and watch a new President being sworn in.

Imagine that!

Second, college freshmen are talking frequently about politics in record numbers. OK, so the number is only 36%. But in 2002. it was 20%, and the previous high was 34% in 1968, at the height of anti-war activism.

We 60s folks need to respectfully and gratefully clear a large space for this new generation of politically active youth. Maybe we need to fall in line behind them, occasionally whispering words of advice and encouragement — which they may decide not to listen to.

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2 thoughts on “Law-abiding citizens and politically active students”

  1. As I said, every time I spoke when I ran in the 2006 primary: Democracy succeeds not because we have a policeman on every street corner but because the 300 million people in our America consent to be governed!

  2. I very much hope they will remain engaged when the glitter and the glamour fade and there is only the hard, slogging work of making government work for the people is all that is left. Glad to have the youth on board – gladder, even, if they remain engaged!!!!! That’s what democracy is all about – participation of the people – all the people – ALL OF THE PEOPLE – not just the ones who think like we do!!!!!

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