Manny & Roz In Madison
A few weeks ago, we got an email from Michael Moore listing events happening around the country with the purpose of empowering people to take our country back. When we saw the announcement for the first Democracy Convention being held in Madison, WI, we knew we had to attend. Not only is Madison the home of Manny’s beloved alma mater, the University of Wisconsin, but the dates of the conference coincided with his 64th birthday. If you believe in signs, this was one in flashing neon.
We weren’t content to simply attend. With the political and economic quagmire our country is in, and no indication of extricating ourselves any time soon, Manny and I had been feeling frustrated and powerless. Many of our friends felt the same. We decided to initiate a group of like minded people of our generation, to take back control of our lives and of our government. And so, Boomers For Democracy was born.
No strangers to activism, we’ve done our share of perpetuating causes. However, we have never started an organization from the ground up, and our hope is that we can learn how to do so at this convention.
So here we are in Madison, wearing our embroidered BFD shirts, carrying our 1000 booster buttons, and filled with a lot hope.
Walking into registration was like taking a step back forty years. Although the event was open to all, I’d say 90% were boomers or the generation that came before. Sure, the men had a little less hair and a lot more belly, and the women had gone from burning their bras, to never leaving home without one, but the energy and enthusiasm were palpable. When we look in a mirror, we may not recognize ourselves, but when we look at each other we see a kindred spirit. We were there then and we are here again. We welcome you to join us at the convention and to see how our learning adventure unfolds.