Patriotism Is Alive And Well

For the last 330 Wednesdays, a group of elderly women (and a couple of elderly men) have met on 5^th Avenue to protest the American presence in Iraq and Afghanistan. The demonstrations began Jan. 14, 2004 and are still going strong.

On a gorgeous afternoon, the avenue was crowded. Most people walked by briskly without giving the protesters a glance. One or two slowed down long enough to call the demonstration misguided. But more than a few expressed approval. A young woman went down the line telling each protester, “I really appreciate what you’re doing.” Another woman, Anna Ungaro, was in town from Jersey City and had free time before an appointment. She joined the group.

Tourists stopped to take pictures, as if the grannies were just one more New York attraction. Ms. Heinz could have lived without that. “It’s hard to have people pat you on the head,” she said. “We get people saying we’re cute. This isn’t about being cute.”

Damn straight. Some of these people can barely stand, yet they’ve been showing up in the same spot for six years. When was the last time you saw a group of young people working this hard — being this patiently persistent — about peace? Then again, when was the last time you heard a 23-year-old say, “I don’t want to say at the end of my life that I didn’t stand up for peace and justice.”?

 Here’s to hoping activism doesn’t skip a generation.